San Miguel Corp. said it expects to receive the first 10,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) coveralls from local garment manufacturers through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today, which will be donated to medical frontliners in the fight against thenew coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
This comes after the group completed delivery of 40,000 sets of protective gear to over 60 health facilities in the country.
The local manufacturers tapped by the DTI belong to the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP).
“We are inspired by how companies and individuals are coming together in new ways to address the challenges of COVID-19. We thank the DTI and the CONWEP for this. We stay committed to helping ease the strain on our medical system and protecting our medical health workers,” said Ramon Ang, San Miguel president.
SMC has also started donating the first batch of ventilators to Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center and Lung Center of the Philippines. Fifty-five units of high-flow oxygen device will also be delivered in the next coming days.
The latest donation is part of the P500-million fund the conglomerate earmarked to help and protect medical front liners save lives in the fight against the deadly virus.
Quarantine facility completed
The Villar Group said it has completed the conversion of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum Halls into a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.
The PICC quarantine facility has 294 patient cubicles, 6 nurse stations, and 6 smart houses outside Forum building for the health workers.
“We are one with the Philippines in its fight against the spread of COVID-19. Hence, we are delighted to have been able to convert PICC Forum halls to a makeshift hospital and is now ready for use ahead of schedule as this will greatly provide the optimal isolation space needed amid this pandemic,” said Manny Villar, chairman of the Villar Group of Companies.
The Villar Group together with the Department of Public Works and Highways and EEI finished the job three days earlier than scheduled, working 24/7.
The fully airconditioned health facility will cater to patients with mild to moderate cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and will be managed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Medical Corps.
Power firms donate
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said medical equipment, including 12 ventilators, 32 powered air purifying respirators, 200 closed suction system are part of its P1-billion donation to the national government’s relief and response efforts.
NGCP will also be donating 10,000 test kits, 42,000 gallons of 70 percent alcohol, 3,800 gallons of disinfecting solutions, 2,100 infrared thermometers and two decontamination chambers.
Over 6.6 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for medical frontliners, including 3,000 hazmat suits, 65,000 full face shields, 3,300,000 gloves, a combined 3,000,000 N95 and surgical masks, 85,000 pairs of shoe covers, 75,000 disposable gowns, 60,000 surgical caps and 45,000 goggles are also included in the donation.
NGCP is targeting to start distribution of medical equipment and supplies to big government hospitals in Metro Manila by the week of April 20 to 24.
Also part of the P1-billion donation is the ongoing distribution of P500 million worth of grocery items to select cities and municipalities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that started on April 11.
Energy Development Corp. said its employees launched a fundraising campaign to generate donations that would provide over P200,000 worth of PPEs and food packs to health care frontliners in hospitals in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country.
To date, the total amount of donations pooled by the employees of EDC has reached P1.8 million, this is in addition to the P100 million pledged by its mother company, First Philippine Holdings, to the Pantawid ng Pag-ibig Program; as well as another donation of P100 million by the Lopez Group to the Department of Transportation’s efforts to bring OFWs safely back to the Philippines.
Meals, hope and music
PepsiCo and its philanthropic arm, PepsiCo Foundation have contributed $500,000 (P25.4 million) along with top business groups to raise more than $30 million (P1.6 billion) towards Project Ugnayan.
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Caritas Manila and its partners are implementing Project Ugnayan to reach over 12.5 million individuals and deliver assistance to Metro Manila’s vulnerable communities, with approximately 100 million meals by April 30, 2020. This is in line with PepsiCo’s “Give Meals Give Hope” and “Millions of Meals” initiatives that were recently rolled out in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
PepsiCo’s business partners Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) and distributor Benby Enterprises Inc. also donated various in-kind products and tents to checkpoints and hospitals.
Damosa Land Cares
Damosa Land Inc. (DLI) through its corporate social responsibility arm Damosa Land Cares, partnered with mother company Anflo Management and Investment Corp. (ANFLOCOR) in donating agricultural products such as bananas and pomelos from Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (TADECO) and vegetables from Agriya Farm.
The initial batch of food support was handed over to the frontliners in the military and the health care workers such as the Davao City Task Force, Davao Central 911, and PNP Barracks, and the Southern Philippines Medical Center.
DLI has also started its house-to-house relief efforts for the communities in Panabo city involving 3,180 relief packs, 309 boxes of bananas, seven boxes of vegetables, nine boxes of pomelos and seven trays of duck eggs. Construction workers in DLI’s ongoing projects also received donations.
ANFLOCOR has also donated personal protective equipment to the frontliners of the hospitals in Davao Region.
Holcim assists
Holcim Philippines Inc. (HPI) is shifting its corporate citizenship budget to provide medical supplies to hospitals assigned to treat coronavirus patients and relief items to its affected communities through its Holcim Helps program.
These supplies include personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, respirators and face shields to be donated to the Lung Center of the Philippines (Quezon City) and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (Caloocan City).
Holcim has also started to distribute food and hygiene products to communities hosting its facilities in Bacnotan, La Union, Norzagay and Calumpit, Bulacan, Tondo, Manila, Calaca and Mabini, Batangas, Iloilo City, Lugait, Misamis Oriental and Davao City.
Approximately 1,500 families and government front line workers have benefitted from the first batch of distribution completed as of April 14.
Rapid test kits
ISOC Holdings, Inc. recently donated a total of 7,500 rapid test kits to seven local government units in Metro Manila.
ISOC Holdings, founded and chaired by Michael C. Cosiquien, is the parent company of ISOC Land, Inc., ISOC Infrastructure, Inc. and ORCA Cold Chain Solutions.
“These donations to the city governments of Caloocan, Makati, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City and Taguig embody the value of ‘Bayanihan’ — which is helping one another in times of need. We are one with the government in saving lives and stopping the spread of COVID-19. As a united nation, we will heal as one and get through this pandemic,” Cosiquien said.
At the start of the enhanced community quarantine, ISOC Holdings’ subsidiaries ISOC Land, ORCA Cold Chain Solutions and ISOC edotco Towers Ltd. also sent food supplies to the same LGUs.
Over 1,000 preloaded mobile phones to frontliners
Globe has turned over 1,000 mobile phones to police, military, and naval forces and select hospitals nationwide.
The mobile phones are preloaded with 30-day unlimited AllNet Call & Text to all networks to enable the frontliners to attend to emergency situations quicker, and to communicate with their colleagues and family members without worrying about telecom expenses.
Aside from RMC, other hospitals which received the mobile kits are: Baguio General Hospital, San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Tondo Medical Center, Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Valenzuela Medical Center. Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, National Kidney Transplant Institute, Manila Naval Hospital, Veterans Hospital, Northern Mindanao Medical Center. Ospital ng Maynila, Pasig City General Hospital, Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital, Southern Philippines Medical Center, Caloocan City Medical Center, Manila East Medical Center, San Juan Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Ospital Ng Makati, Philippine General Hospital, Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and Research Institute of Tropical Medicine.
Other recipients include the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Navy, Philippine National Police, and the Ranao Rescue Team.
Earlier, Globe also provided free GoWIFI internet connection in various hospitals and supermarkets across the country to address the connectivity requirements of frontliners, patients, and the general public.
