THE biggest names in Philippine business banded together to help cushion the negative impact of the new coronavirus pandemic on hardest-hit communities. With “swiftness and efficiency,” in the words of the project lead, the delivery of goods and services under trying conditions meant a world of difference for the lowest-income groups that the project aimed to serve.
Relief for 7.8M
Project Ugnayan, the fund-raising initiative led by business groups in cooperation with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), said it has extended relief to over 7.6 million people in poor communities in Greater Metro Manila.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Project Ugnayan lead, said as the initiative ends, the program has shown the “Bayanihan spirit” in a quick manner in such a scale. “Our special thanks go to the 10 Bishops of the Dioceses in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna, as well as to Caritas Manila under the leadership of Father Anton Pascual, and the network of parish priests, volunteers, and barangay captains who distributed the gift certificates door-to-door in the lowest-income communities of Greater Metro Manila. We appreciate the swiftness and efficiency of their work under very difficult conditions and over very long hours each day,” said Zobel.
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, PDRF co-chairman, said Project Ugnayan should be nurtured “as we prepare to let people return to work and to re-start our economy in the post-quarantine period.”
Manuel V. Pangilinan, PDRF co-chairman, also said Project Ugnayan “reveals the private sector’s serious commitment” to help the country recover from the lost economic momentum because of the pandemic.
Father Anton CT Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, said the initiative earned praises from Archdiocese of Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, San Pablo Bishop Buenaventura Famadico and other Prelates of the Suffragan Dioceses of Manila.
Caritas Manila’s Project Damayan, the project’s main distributor of emergency cash through P1,000 supermarket gift certificates has so far reached 1.07 million families, equivalent to 5.35 million people, and is on target to deliver gift certificates to 1,366,495 families or 6,832,475 people by Wednesday, April 15 (the original end-date of the enhanced community quarantine).
ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pagibig meanwhile has reached 238,854 families or 1,194,270 people through food packs delivered through local government units. They will reach a total of 631,921 families or 3,151,605 people by the end of their program.
ADB and the Government’s Bayan, Bayanihan has delivered food packages to 13,370 families or 66,850 people through the Philippine Army and DSWD. ADB has provided funding to reach 80,000 families or a total of 400,000 people.
Jollibee’s FoodAID program delivers ready-to-cook chicken to low-income families from its commissary through a network composed of Don Bosco, Caritas Manila, and the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP). They have so far delivered to 199,491 families or 977,455 people. They aim to reach 500,000 families or 2,500,000 people by the end ofApril.
“In sum, Project Ugnayan and its Partners have reached 1,522,569 families or 7,612,845 people in just over three weeks. This number will rise as all deliveries have already been programmed by the partners,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala.
The donors of Project Ugnayan are (in alphabetical order): Aboitiz Group, ABSCBN/First Gen, Alaska Milk Corporation, Alliance Global Group & Megaworld, AY Foundation & RCBC, Ayala Corp.; Bench/Suyen Corp, Bonifacio West Devt Corp. Carmelray Group, Cathay Land, Inc, Cebuana Lhullier, Century Pacific, Coca Cola Philippines, Concepcion Industrial, Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal Foundation, Inc., Daiichi Properties, DMCI Group of Companies, Dowell Container and Packaging Corporation, Far Eastern University, First Life Financial Company, Focus Global, Inc., Global Food Group, Glorious Commercial Exports, Inc., Gokongwei Group of Companies/Robinsons Retail Holdings, ICTSI, JAKA Group 1, Jollibee, J.P. Morgan, Kawit Prime Holdings, Inc., Leonio Group, Mercury Drug Corporation, Metrobank, Mumuso Group, National Grid Corp of the Philippines, New World Hotel, Nutri-Asia, Oishi/Liwayway Marketing Group, One Meralco Foundation, Penshoppe, People R People, PepsiCo/PepsiCo Foundation, Philippine Racing Club, Inc, PLDT/Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Puregold, Ramon S. Ang & Family, RRK/Lee Jeans, Shang Properties Inc, SM/BDO, Sta. Elena Construction, Sugar Junction Inc.. Sunlife of Canada, Super Prime Holdings, Inc, Supreme Steel Pipe Corp, The Alpha Suites Inc., Unilab, and Wilcon Depot.
Free public telemedicine
The Department of Health (DOH) has tapped KonsultaMD for the provision of free telemedicine advice to individuals who need non-emergency medical assistance in order to alleviate surge and minimize risks posed by unnecessary visits to hospitals.
The move is expected to augment the DOH COVID hotlines 02-894-COVID (02-894-26843) and 1555 for general COVID-19 related inquiries.
According to DOH, health care providers, particularly hospitals, are currently experiencing a high number of consultations regarding COVID-19, many of which are manageable at the primary care level.
To address the issue, those residing in the National Capital Region can call KonsultaMD’s 02-7798-8000 hotline to consult with a medical professional for non-COVID-19 related health concerns, free of charge. This will be available from April 7 until May 31, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“By offering our services for free, we can help decongest our hospitals of cases that may be easily addressed through telemedicine. This will allow the doctors in the field to focus on critical ailments,” said Maridol D. Ylanan, chief executive officer of Global Telehealth, Inc. which runs KonsultaMD.
Prior to the partnership with DOH, KonsultaMD has already provided free access to its 79880 hotline to Globe and TM customers while the 02-7798-8000 landline hotline may also be accessed for free from any Globe landline nationwide or any other landline in Metro Manila.
KonsultaMD is giving a free 30-day subscription to anyone who will register for the service until April 30.
Phinma’s share
The Phinma Group said it has extended close to P25 million support to the country’s new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) initiatives.
The company said it has released or have committed to release a total of P23.75M for various initiatives that include a P5 million support the joint PBSP-Caritas-Bayanihan, Musikahan effort; an P8 million assistance to health workers at the front lines with masks, suits, food, lodging and transportation, help establish supplementary health care facilities, and/or provide food and other assistance to vulnerable groups; P3.75 million to fund assistance for up to 1,500 PHINMA Group contractual no work/no pay staff and workers, where each individual is allocated P2,500 to provide food and health packs; and P7 million to support communities of the PHINMA Group.
More PPEs
The Aboitiz Group meanwhile said it has has donated medical equipment, protective gear, and other related items to military and medical frontliners to fight COVID-19.
A total of 15,500 surgical masks, 1,500 surgical gloves, 20 tents, and four alcohol drums were donated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the Bureaus of Customs and Quarantine, and the Departments of National Defense, Labor and Employment, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Transportation, and Social Welfare and Development.
A total of 4,500 surgical masks and 1,500 surgical gloves were also turned over to the government-run Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez
This equipment will help them ensure uninterrupted operations to better serve the public, the company said.
Community assistance
Eagle Cement Corp. has donated food packs to the residents of Bulacan during the on-going community quarantine. The company tapped the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, volunteers from the company’s workforce and the local government of San Ildefonso, Bulacan for the relief distribution composed of rice and canned goods to 20 barangays in San Ildefonso and Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT).
Apart from food packs, vitamins and other medicine were also distributed to residents who are most in need. Heeding to the needs of the communities, Eagle has also allocated free water supply for residents who are currently experiencing water shortages.
Eagle’s manufacturing plant has been operating in San Ildefonso, Bulacan since 2010. Apart from its manufacturing operations that have provided employment opportunities for local residents, the company continues to develop and serve its local communities through sustainable family and community programs that focus on providing support for nutrition, livelihood, infrastructure, growth and development, health and emergency responses, technology, and education.
The relief operations also included providing assistance to 60 families of the Dumagat tribe in a remote mountainous area of DRT, which Eagle has been supporting since 2017 through its feeding programs and classroom donation.
“Aside from food packs, Eagle plans to extend its hand to more communities in the area by providing them with better access to essential hygiene products such as soaps and sanitizers,” said Paul Ang, Eagle president.
