FASHION design experts, educators and mentors have joined forces to play their part to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, through the production of reusable personal protective equipment (PPE).
With a donation of 2,000 yards of fabric from Makati-based specialty textile supplier Weaves of Asia, the joint efforts of the Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has set about to transform these patterns into jumpsuits, lab gowns, head and foot covers.
“We intend to provide these to small public hospitals in the provinces such as those in Cavite, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Batanes who do not have as much access to PPEs for their frontliners.” stated FDM Program Chair Christine Benet.
So far, 350 of the projected 450 PPE sets have been finished by a team of custoreras who have gone back into production to earn their daily wages, but funds of the faculty are starting to run low.
The designs follow standards provided by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI), which closely works with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).
“The scraps of the repellent and non-repellent fabrics are made into masks sewn by our Senior students as they have expressed their willingness to be a part of the initiative,” Benet said. “Volunteerism is alive.” she continued.
An estimated 4,500 pieces of masks are pegged to be produced.
They call on for donations both in cash and in kind for materials such as fabric, garter, Velcro, ballpoint needles, and polyester and nylon threads, and welcome more volunteers who wish to contribute in the production and packaging.
