MVP Group, DOH join forces vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The MVP Group of Companies has partnered with the Department of Health (DOH) in promoting behavioral changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 nationwide.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the public-private partnership ensures wider public compliance with the minimum health standards.

Duque said the MVP Group of Companies committed to help build consumer confidence through the widespread adoption of BIDA Solusyon campaign, which encourages all sectors to comply with science-based
behavioral change.

He said all stores and business centers under the MVP Group are setting up contactless hand wash stations with liquid soap to further promote hand washing.

The Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. has also formed a COVID management team to ensure the safety and welfare of their healthcare workers.

Manuel Pangilinan, MVP Group of Companies chair, pledged to promote the DOH’s BIDA campaign, not just in their business companies, but in their daily lives.

“We are hoping that through our Group’s contribution, we could help the real BIDA who are central to our businesses – the Filipino people, the Filipino consumers,” Pangilinan said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has cited Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co. plant in Marikina City as a model workplace during the pandemic.

“The chances of transmission of the virus within this facility are low. It is heavily protected by safety and health protocols,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said as he visited the country’s largest cigarette manufacturing firm last week.

He added that the multinational firm strictly adheres to safety and health protocols required by government to control the spread of COVID-19 as well as the strict enforcement of physical distancing and the wearing of face masks and shield among its 1,200 workers.

He also noted the strong presence of disinfectants like alcohol easily accessed by workers at strategic locations of the facility.

“It only shows the utmost sincerity of PMFTC to work with government in protecting Filipinos at workplaces,” Bello said.

By promoting safety at the workplace, Bello said PMFTC has become a partner of the government in fighting COVID-19. “They stay in business and preserve employment for our countrymen.”

Bello stressed the need for strict observance of safety and health protocols at workplaces.

“My only request from employers and workers is that they follow the guidelines of the government in fighting COVID-19. We can defeat the virus if we fight as one,” he said.