Sample PPE under production being manufactured in Magalang to be distributed to hospitals in different municipalities. Contributed photo by Jay Macalino
ANGELES CITY — The lack of personal protective suits, isolation gowns, and PVC masks has become a rising problem in hospitals due to the continuous increase in numbers of Covid-19 cases. Groups of private citizens and individuals have taken initiatives in helping the frontliners amid the enhanced community quarantine.
A recent Facebook post by Jay Macalino, a concerned citizen, caught the attention of many with his urgent response to the need of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff and health workers in Angeles City and nearby municipalities.
According to Macalino, they found out about the lack of PPEs through his friend who is a doctor in a public hospital here but only discovered the need to prioritize when they donated bottles of alcohol to some medical centers and hospitals recently.
“Lalu kami me-push kareng PPE kasi anyang Saturday meg-donate kaming alcohol kareng hospitals ikit mi, metung doctor keng metung PPE la mu talaga kaya we pushed talaga na mantun. Ing kaluguran mi pu mananahi ya so last week pa meg offer ya na ya ing manahi for free basta pagdala miya ketang fabric,” said Macalino.
[We prioritized the need for PPE after we donated alcohol to some hospitals and we saw doctors having only one PPE per doctor so we really pushed for it and decided to help. We have a friend who is a tailor and last week he offered to sew PPEs for free so long as we give him the fabric he needs.]
The first batch of the PPEs are still under production which can supply around 100-150 suits from 300 yards of non-woven fabric. They are currently procuring more of the said fabric at Pine Rose General Merchandise while seeking additional donations from different suppliers. The first batch will be distributed to different hospitals in this city and nearby municipalities.
Macalino, together with Kapampangan car group JDM Pampanga, is also planning to provide a point-to-point transportation solution for the frontliners to help them reach their destination safely while public transportation is suspended.
Meanwhile, other non-government organizations and private groups have started their own call for donationsincluding Clark Investors and Locators Association,Kapampangan RTW brand Indû, CARed Pool Pampanga, Bigay Bente, and Kapit Cabalen.
You may visit their corresponding Facebook page for more details should you wish to volunteer, reach out, and support their initiatives for the frontliners and unsung heroes amid the ongoing ECQ.
