ANGELES CITY – To further ensure the welfare of medical frontliners, the local government here has started to distribute reusable protective gears – 500 Personal Protective Equipment and 1,000 facemasks – to all of the city’s private hospitals.
Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. said that among the hospitals to receive the environmental-friendly protective equipment are Dr. Amando L. Garcia Medical Center, Holy Family Medical Center, Angeles University Foundation Medical Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center, and RD Reyes Hospital.
Each hospital was allotted 100 PPEs and 200 facemasks which were produced through the Angeleño First Alternative Livelihood Program launched by the city government amid the pandemic. Two hospitals – Garcia and Holy Family – already received their reusable masks and PPEs. Distribution to the remaining three hospitals will follow suit.
The livelihood program aims to provide an alternative sustainable livelihood project, produce reusable PPEs and facemasks for the campaign to preserve the environment, and give the city government its own protective equipment for the city’s health workers in lieu of purchasing, says Lazatin.
“Lahat po ng napo-produce na PPEs at facemasks mula sa livelihood project ay ibinabahagi natin sa ating mga health workers at indigent residents. Nag-hire po tayo ng 120 na mananahi para gumawa ng sarilu nating protective equipment,” he explained.
“Instead na bumili pa tayo ng mga PPEs at facemasks, napupunta na lamang yung pera sa pagpapasweldo sa inilunsad nating livelihood program para sa mga hinire nating mananahi na miyembro ng marginalized sector,” Lazatin added.
The project, which is being overseen by Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel and Lazatin’s Chief Adviser IC Calaguas with Angeles City Economic Development Investment and Promotions Office (ACEDIPO) and Public Employment Services Office (PESO), already produced 11,000 PPEs and 145,000 facemasks to date and were turned over to the city government.
Manuel also shared that the 120 homebased mananahi women hired for the project are mostly solo parents, persons with disability (PWDs), stay-at-home parents, and members of women’s group. They are to produce reusable 6,600 PPEs and 72,000 facemasks intended for the city’s health workers and indigent residents, with the designs and patterns freely provided by 17 Angeleño designers namely Rich Sabinian, Rosette Ramos-Biag, Danica Zita, Manny Ocampo, Stephen Victoriano, Jhune Angeles, Joey Feliciano, Bhry Adefuin, Jojo Macapinlac, Mich Viray, Carl Miranda, Cholo Ayuyao, Richard Hill, Rop Syquia, Philip Dizon Torres, Marlon Tuazon, and Frederick Policarpio.
To recall, Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center on June 23 also received reusable 1,000 Personal Protective Equipment and 500 facemasks from the city government.
These were personally received then by RLMMC Chief Dr. Froilan Canlas and said that the reusable protective gears are comfortable to use.
Meanwhile ACEDIPO Officer-In-Charge Irish Bonus-Llego said other livelihood programs currently being planned by the city government include tinapa-making, basket weaving, eco-bag making, rice retailing, and atchara-making.
