UNIVERSAL Robina Corp. (URC) is repurposing some of its production line to manufacture face shields using the company’s available resources.
The Gokongwei-owned food firm and the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) aim to manufacture 100,000 reusable face shields for frontline workers of over 25 beneficiaries including: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Rizal Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, The Medical City and Chinese General Hospital.
URC’s face shields are made from just three basic materials, making mass production easier: a polypropylene (PP) strip that is 14mm thick and about a meter long; an 8-by-13-inch PET sheet; and some staples.
The company buys the PET sheets and staples, but it produces the PP strips in its facility in Calamba, Laguna.
With minimal materials needed, URC is able to produce 3,500 face shields a day at two of its production facilities in Laguna. To date, it has delivered 40,000 to various hospitals and will complete deliveries by May.
