DTI assures public of adequate supply of N95 facemasks

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) yesterday assured the public that it is working to have constant supply of N95 facemasks and N88 surgical masks following a commitment from the country’s sole medical mask manufacturer.

“The public should not worry as the DTI is working to ensure that reasonably-priced N95 facemasks will be made available to protect them from ashfall,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. The DTI issued the statement after it met with executives of Medtecs International Corp. Ltd.

Medtecs chief financial officer and director Wilfrido Rodriguez vowed to supply the needed medical masks in the wake of the recent Taal Volcano eruption. Rodriguez said the firm could produce bulk orders.

Medtecs has not increased the prices and the FFP2-N95 facemasks are still available for purchase at suggested retail price of P60 through hotline number (632) 8817-9000.

It has given DTI regional offices 2,000 pieces of FFP2-N95 facemasks and 100,000 pieces N88 surgical facemasks to be donated to areas affected by Taal Volcano’s activity.

Medtecs informed the DTI that it would be getting 400,000 more pieces of FFP2-N95 masks from its mother company abroad next week.

 The firm has two million pieces of N88 surgical masks available and ready for disposal, which are being produced from their plant in Bataan.

Medtecs sells a wide range of medical products in the US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

Lopez said the DTI continues to monitor activities to ensure retailers are selling facemasks at reasonable prices.

“While we are conducting price monitoring operations to certify that there is no overpricing of medical face masks, we are safeguarding the production of critical products needed to address the calamity through a program of incentives in the 2020 Investments Priorities Plan (IPP) as well,” Lopez said.

 The IPP serves as the country’s investment promotions blueprint.