Donations pour in as Philippine sports community joins battle vs COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — The government is not alone in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filipino athletes, officials and sports personalities have recently extended a helping hand to health workers and people in the frontline by doing collective acts of kindness.
The Philippine Sports Commission has donated 120 mattresses that will go to health workers at Medical Center Manila, Emilio Aguinaldo College Medical Center, Fe Del Mundo Medical Center and Capitol Medical Center and several Barangays whose watchmen are doing round-the-clock work.
“On behalf of these medical professionals, I am deeply grateful for your generosity. We will get through this difficult time together, with kindness, strength, tenacity that Filipinos are known for,” said Philippine swim chief Lani Velasco in her letter to PSC chair William “Butch” Ramirez on Saturday.
Volleyball star Jia Morado, the Philippine women’s softball team and Bounty Agro Ventures Inc.’s Ronald Mascarinas have also pitched in to help in the cause.
Morado, who plays setter for Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League, has auctioned her jerseys to raise funds to buy PPEs (personal protective equipment) that she is planning to donate to frontliners.
Meanwhile, the Blu Girls have donated relief goods and food to doctors, nurses and staff members of the Philippine General Hospital.
For Mascarinas, he has donated an additional 100,000 kilograms of fully chicken for medical workers, military men and volunteers in places like Bulacan, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Bataan, Rizal, Taguig, Pasig and Caloocan among others.
"We are living in difficult times with our lives at stake and our jobs at risk. While our health workers serve in the frontlines battling against the coronavirus pandemic, we choose to do our part as well," said Mascariñas.
As early as last week, PBA players headed by San Miguel’s Junmar Fajardo and the entire Alaska team also initiated a charity drive to raise money to donate surgical masks as well as help provide financial support to individuals who lost jobs while the PBA season is suspended.
And more help is expected to come.
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