Chartered flight for more PPEs
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has chartered a Philippine Airlines flight last week carrying 2 million facemasks, 400,000 KN95 masks, 50,000 N95 masks and 21,000 infrared thermometers.
The company said this is part of the P1- billion donation to the government’s COVID-19 relief and response efforts with the medical supplies to be turned over to around 300 hospitals and health units across the country.
The donation includes ventilators, respirators, 10,000 test kits and over 6.6 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for frontliners, such as hazmat suits, full face shields, gloves, shoe covers, disposable gowns, surgical caps and goggles.
Also included are alcohol and disinfecting solution which reached a total of 43 hospitals as of April 30.
As of April 29, 628 out of 1,028 local government units have received 921,500 out of a total of 1.25 million grocery packs worth P500 million as part of the P1 billion donation.
Other donations by NGCP include a P5 million donation to Project Ugnayan; earlier donations of medical supplies, PPEs, and meals to frontliners; and the Meals on Wheels program which distributes hot meals to affected communities.
Free fuel and more
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) marked Labor Day on May 1 with a fresh donation of 85,000 liters of free fuel for government’s Libreng Sakay program for medical front liners and workers reporting to hospitals throughout Metro Manila.
The donation, which consists of 40,000 liters of fuel for the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) free shuttle program and another 45,000 liters for the Department of Transportation’s (DoTR) parallel program, were provided by San Miguel subsidiaries SMC Infrastructure and Petron .
Worth an estimated P2.8 million, the fuel donation is the second such grant from the two SMC businesses, totalling 170,000 liters worth P5.8 million.
The company is eyeing to add 60 more Petron stations to the original 30 which serve as retail channels that will sell farmers’ produce such as fruits and vegetables under the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita rolling market program.
“Petron’s major stations will become a lifeline for farmers in the province struggling to find a way to sell their fresh farm harvest … we’re also making available fresh fruits and vegetables to people in Metro Manila to complement the products we offer,” Ramon Ang, SMC’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Paymaya at Manila’s Kadiwa Rolling Stores
The City of Manila has mobilized their Kadiwa Rolling Stores equipped with cashless technology of PayMaya while under enhanced community quarantine.
Through this partnership, Manila residents can go cashless using PayMaya QR, their PayMaya-powered citizen ID card, or any debit or credit card whenever they purchase discounted essential items from the Kadiwa rolling stores.
The Kadiwa Rolling Store will be roving to more barangays in the coming days, bringing more discounted goods and vegetables sourced from South Emerald Supermarket.
By encouraging the use of cashless technology, the local government aims to make the delivery of public service more efficient and transparent. At the same time, going cashless helps lessen the further spread of the infectious disease in the community as residents no longer have to bring or withdraw cash whenever they buy essentials in their area.
The city of Manila is the first local government unit to go digital for cash assistance distribution to citizens during ECQ.
Aid to Mindanao frontliners
The Aboitiz Group, through its power business units and its team members, have extended help to local communities affected by the impact of COVID-19 in Mindanao.
AboitizPower distribution utility Cotabato Light & Power Co. team recently donated medical supplies for frontliners at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.
The donation included 11,000 surgical masks, 1,000 nitrile gloves, 9,000 surgical gloves, 371 safety goggles, 14 infrared thermometers, 371 digital contact thermometers, and 12 liters of alcohol.
Cotabato Light had also previously donated food items to the local government units (LGU) within its franchise areas of Cotabato City and the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Datu Odin Sinsuat, which included canned goods and sacks of rice.
Mindanao-based team members from Aboitiz Group companies, namely Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV), Aboitiz Power Corp., Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., along with AboitizPower business unit Therma Marine, Inc. (TMI) used their funds to distribute PPEs and alcohol to the Southern Philippines Medical Center and the Davao City Health Office.
As an initiative started by the #OneAboitiz team in Mindanao, team members held a fundraising activity to lend their own personal assistance to medical frontliners. The Mindanao team members of AEV, AboitizPower, Apo Agua, TMI, Davao Light, Cotabato Light, Hedcor, and Therma South, Inc. were able to raise a total of P479,200 out of their own pockets.
P350M for 600k families
ABS-CBN Corp. and the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) has raised P350 million in cash donations and pledges for over 600,000 families in Metro Manila and nearby provinces affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
As of April 27, the total cash received by the fundraising campaign is at P329 million, which will all be used to purchase products that will be delivered to local government units (LGU) for repacking and distribution to their constituents.
To date, “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” has already purchased products worth P272 million, while also receiving P56.8 million worth of donations in kind. About P293.7 million worth of these supplies have already been turned over to the LGUs with the rest of the donations to be further exhausted.
Launched in the same week the ECQ was declared, “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” aims to provide food and basic necessities to affected families who lost income and livelihood.
“Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” has gone to Caloocan, to Las Pinas, Malabon, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Pateros, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, later expanding to provinces such as Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
Free unlimited WiFi
Globe Telecom is extending its free unlimited Internet via GoWiFi, in government designated quarantine areas, residence areas and more hospitals for the benefit of medical frontliners and patients.
“By offering free and unlimited connectivity, we hope to boost the unflagging service and commitment of our medical frontliners and government employees,” said Janis Racpan Globe, director for digital solutions group.
Free unlimited GoWiFi will be available in the following locations until further notice: World Trade Center, Pasay City,Philsports Arena/Ultra, Quezon Memorial Circle, and Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Additional quarantine area include Francisco Felix Memorial National High School,Residence areas for frontliners, Quarto Residences — Manila, My Rainbow Place – Quezon City, Victory Fort — BGC, St. Mary’s College, Amoranto Sports Complex, Immaculate Heart of Mary College, Santa Isabel College
Globe also provides free WIFI services in several hospital include Fe Del Mundo Medical Center, Jose N. Rodriguez Hospital,Las Pinas Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. – Quezon Institute, San Lazaro Hospital, VRP Hospital and World Citi Medical Center.
