Project Kaagapay raises P92 million for healthcare frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — Project Kaagapay, a fundraising initiative that began last April to provide much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the country’s healthcare community, has raised almost P92 million in cash donations and received in-kind donations worth almost P27 million, reaching 70 hospitals and medical centers in Metro Manila and other provinces and distributing over 200,000 PPE sets for beneficiaries.

Kaagapay was launched by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Zuellig Pharma, ABS-CBN and Metro Drug as part of the private sector’s efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through collective action.

“There are many kinds of love. What we are doing is protecting our health workers and assisting our hospitals and that kind of giving is a form of love as well,” said PDRF president Butch Meily.

Among the companies and organizations that have supported the initiative are Zuellig Family Foundation, Ayala Corp., Ayala Foundation, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, PLDT, Pilipinas Shell, PMA Alumni Association, Alaska Milk Corp., Peace and Equity Foundation, Alagad ng Batas Foundation and Normany Group. Individual donations reached almost P4.5 million through joint fundraising with PayMaya, Gcash and Ayala Malls.

“We are so encouraged and thankful for the growing support for Project Kaagapay. This truly reflects the deep care and concern we all have for our healthcare heroes on the frontlines. These kind donations have made a lot of difference not only in protecting and saving lives but, more importantly, in letting them know we are one with them in this battle. The fight against COVID-19 will remain for quite some time. So we continue to appeal for the public’s generosity to join us in this worthwhile cause in healing our nation,” said Raymund Azurin, chairman of Zuellig Pharma Corp.

In-kind donations also poured in from Apple Inc., which gave 105,000 KN95 masks amounting to more than P15.7 million; UPS, which provided transport support equivalent to P5 million; Airbnb, which allotted almost P3.5 million for free accommodation; Unilever, which donated 10 ventilators and 15,000 surgical face masks amounting to over P1.7 million; Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc., which gave 750 test kits; US Philippines Society, which contributed N95 masks; and Huawei, which provided surgical masks.

Kaagapay continues to call for support in providing aid for the country’s healthcare workers and other frontliners, providing not just PPEs but also test kits and ventilators for beneficiaries.

Established in 2010, PDRF is the major private sector coordinator for disaster risk reduction and management in the country. Composed of over 85 member-companies, PDRF is co-chaired by PLDT-Smart Communications chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ayala Corp. chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.