SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) is not wasting time as the country combats the growing number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, preparing to purchase the first 10,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be produced by a local garment manufacturer.
SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said the giant conglomerate has already sourced medical-grade PPE for health workers from member companies of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The PPE will be purchased as part of the P500 million fund the company has earmarked to help protect medical practitioners and health workers amid the current pandemic.
“We thank the local manufacturers for heeding the call to produce PPE for our hardworking medical frontliners, and the DTI for linking up those who need to buy these life-saving equipment and local companies that have the capability to produce them,” Ang said.
DTI secretary Ramon Lopez and the Board of Investments (BOI) have coordinated with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to develop a medical-grade PPE prototype to be used during this health crisis.
The PGH’s Hospital Infection Control Unit (HICU) said the PPE prototype has met its strict requirements.
The garment factories of CONWEP-member companies, for its part, will start producing the PPE once the raw materials are shipped by April 9.
“We are asking more local manufacturers to come forward. We are in a race for time to save more lives and protect our medical workers who care for them. As soon as the 10,000 sets of PPE are ready, we will immediately dispatch these to hospitals in dire need,” Ang added.
He also said that tapping local producers will also allow these companies to restart their manufacturing capacities and provide employment to their workers who have been affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) implemented in Luzon to stop the spread of the virus.
SMC has also started sourcing PPE through its global network of suppliers.
“Our health workers need our support now more than ever. We are supporting the government in its efforts and ask everyone to follow government regulations and stay at home to prevent more cases that could overwhelm our hospitals,” he added.
The company has also repurposed the manufacturing facilities of subsidiary Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. nationwide to produce 70% ethyl alcohol.
It has increased daily volume to 100,000 liters for distribution due to the lack of supply and has donated over 500,000 liters of ethyl alcohol to various public and private hospitals, the DoH, local government units, the Philippine National Police and other vital institutions throughout Luzon.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph