Several companies from the private sector have raised a fundraising initiative to immediately bring aid to healthcare professionals and hospitals as the Philippines faces medical equipment shortage amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), Zuellig Pharma, ABS-CBN, Metro Drug, and Go Negosyo launched Kaagapay: Protect our Healthcare Heroes project, that aims to raise over P100 million to provide much needed medical equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators for hospitals across Metro Manila.
"Franklin Roosevelt said that 'courage is not the absence of fear but the assessment that there is something more important than fear.' Our medical frontliners demonstrate this every day they are at work saving lives while putting their own at risk. Let us support these heroes in any way we can," PLDT/Smart Communications Chairman and PDRF co-chair Manuel V. Pangilinan said.
Kaagapay, which began its initial run last March 31, seeks to provide at least 50 ventilators and 30,000 PPEs for the healthcare sector by utilizing pooled procurement mechanisms and supply chain processes.
"Just as the business community has banded together to feed the economically-vulnerable, we are also working in concert to support our healthcare frontliners with PPEs, test kits, and medical supplies through this project," said Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala who also co-chairs PDRF.
Launched primarily through social media sites Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the initiative, will include test kits and other life-saving medical equipment as well.
"Project Kaagapay is an opportunity for us as a nation to rally together and show our support to our healthcare heroes and patients in their fight against COVID-19. By pooling our donations as a whole community, we can provide timely access of critical equipment to those who need them most. Join us in this fight and together make a difference and save precious lives," said Zuellig Pharma Corporation Chairman Raymund Azurin.
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 Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
News.abs-cbn.com is the news website of ABS-CBN Corp.
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