CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Filipino-Chinese community organized a group to help fight against Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Dubbed as “Laban Cebu,” the group donated P2 million worth of medical supplies to local government units and hospitals in Cebu.
Jeff Go, spokesperson of the group, said they gave masks, bottles of 70% and 80% alcohol, coats and other protective gears to the frontliners in the hospitals and cities of Mandaue, Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Philippine National Police-7, and Sacred Heart Boys High, which is being used as a quarantine center.
“First Batch pa lang ni. Naa pay second batch. We are also encouraging our Filipino-Chinese community in Cebu to donate because the more donations we have, mas daghan ta og matabangan,” said Go.
Also, the group has set up two 40-footer container vans at Block 27 at the North Reclamation Area, where a 200-bed capacity quarantine center is being constructed by the Cebu City government.
Laban Cebu is headed by the Cebu-Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Cebu Filipino Chinese Amity Club, Inc., Cebu Laman Chamber of Commerce, Cebu Hongkong Chamber of Commerce and all Chinese Family Associations in Cebu.
NGCP pledges P1B aid
On the other hand, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in support of President Rodrigo Duterte and the national government’s efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Philippines will also be donating P1 billion to aid medical frontliners.
In a letter to the president, NGCP declared its support to the ongoing battle against the pandemic with a P500 million donation in the form of goods and medical equipment and another P500 million for the procurement of other COVID-19 response measures, as may be determined by the Office of the President.
“Through our initial coordination with their office, we were instructed to donate entirely in the form of medical equipment with specific items, such as video laryngoscopes, ventilators, and total face masks,” the company said in a statement.
The P1 billion donation is on top of the earlier donated personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks, meals, and other supplies for the frontline workers in the health industry and the Meals on Wheels program conducted to distribute hot meals to indigent members of the community.
NGCP’s technical partner, the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), also donated P500,000 face masks through the Philippine Red Cross.
“Our stakeholders, particularly the public, can be assured that NGCP will continue to look for opportunities to support the government in battling this pandemic. We recognize that the only way to defeat this global health threat is through our collective efforts,” the company added.
NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyiuto, Jr. KQD (FREEMAN)