ANGELES CITY — Responding to the need for available face masks among frontliners in the fights against Covid-19, Kapampangan fashion designers has taken upon themselves the task to sew hundreds of the commodity.
The initiative was spearheaded by Kapampangan fashion designers Santino Rivera, Mich Viray, Noel Calma, Glen Canlas, Marlon Tuazon, and Philip Torres together with event stylist Pancho Pantig, and event organizer Voltaire Zalamea.
According to Zalamea, Pantig came up with the idea of gathering more Pampanga fashion designers to sew reusable face masks to distribute to the frontliners and volunteers in this city and the nearby municipalities.
“Yesterday, I got a call from event stylist Pancho Pantig and asked me if I can create a group chat for the Pampanga designers who can help us in creating masks for the frontliners and volunteers in Angeles and nearby municipalities, either by donating some fabrics or help in sewing masks using the pattern sent by designer Santino Rivera,” said Pampanga’s foremost eventologist.
Enthused Zalamea: “I am happy to know that during the time we created the group, some of them were already sewing their own masks. And because of the group chat, things were made easier and faster as most decided to create the masks at their own places using the pattern shared. Some also donated fabrics and some donated cash to buy more fabrics and materials.”
The reusable face masks were made from neoprene fabric. They have already been distributed to some hospitals around the province as some of the designers live in different municipalities, reaching hospitals from Porac District Hospital, JBL Memorial Hospital, AUF Medical Center, St. Raphael Hospital, Tiglao General Hospital, Mabalacat District Hospital, and HP High Precision Hospital as well as the police and military at the border checkpoints.
Zalamea also noted that they also plan to create a core group to help their fellow industry players during the lockdown as most of the people in the wedding supplier industry have been adversely affected since the staff and personnel also rely on no work, no pay basis.
Other Kapampangan designers who have also been doing the same initiatives in their personal capacitiesare Frederick Policarpio, Manny Ocampo, Cholo Ayuyao, Andy De Leon, Brit Tripudio, Carl John Miranda, Danica Zita, Jhaymer Ferrer Lui, Jhune Angeles, Jojo Macapinlac, Manelle Chamian, Rich Sabinian, Richard Hill, RJ Ryan, Rop Syquia, Rosette Ramos Biag, and Adrian Sahagun.
