Philippines to start daily production of 10,000 PPEs after Holy Week
MANILA, Philippines — Apparel exporters in the Philippines will start producing medical grade personal protective equipment for the healthcare workers leading the country’s fight against the new coronavirus.
Healthcare workers in the Philippines deal with a shortage of supplies such as masks, suits and protective gear, making frontliners even more susceptible to the virus while treating patients.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the spokesperson of the government’s coronavirus task force, announced Monday that member companies of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines can produce 10,000 PPEs a day.
“Raw materials for these will be shipped in by this week and the roll out of production at the garment factories will immediately start after the Holy Week,” Nograles said Monday.
The PPE coveralls to be produced can be used even in operating rooms, COVID-19 positive wards and intensive care units. The PPEs were tested by the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital.
The DOH purchased one million sets of PPE worth P1.8 billion, which will be given to health workers in COVID-19 referral hospitals. Each set of PPE contains head gear, goggles, N95 masks, gloves, apron and gown.
The first batch of the procured PPE sets arrived last week, while the remaining 985,000 sets will arrive between April 6 and 24.
Firm eyes 2 million face masks each month
A medical equipment manufacturer based at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga is eyeing to produce two million face masks each month once it resolves its shortage in manpower.
Yuki Yokoi, president of Yokoisada Philippines Corp., said that the firm is currently only producing at 20% of its total maximum capacity. It can produce up to 10 million face masks with a full manpower capacity of 300 workers.
“We are hopeful that once the enhanced community quarantine is lifted on April 14, we can produce more face masks,” Yokoi said
Yokoisada currently has 100 regular employees with 50 regularly reporting for work while observing quarantine guidelines.
The Department of Trade and Industry assured the company additional manpower will be supplied in the coming weeks to reach maximum production.
The DTI will distribute the face masks to Philippine hospitals and other pharmaceutical firms to supply the rising demand for PPEs.
The new coronavirus has so far infected 3,246 people in the Philippines—152 of whom have died. — with report from Camille Diola, photo from Clark-based Yokoisada Philippines Corp.
Photo shows members of the Philippine National Police deployed in Manila amid COVID-19 threat. The STAR/Edd Gumban
President Rodrigo Duterte on March 16, 2020 declares an enhanced community quarantine over all of mainland Luzon, an expansion of an earlier general community quarantine over the National Capital Region.
The entire National Capital Region—16 cities and a municipality—is under community quarantine from March 15 to April 14, which means the enforcement of social distancing measures like letting fewer people on public transportation, reduced store hours, and the possibiity of curfews.
According to a memorandum issued by the Palace on Saturday, March 14, the quarantine means that "movement of people shall be limited to accessing basic necessities and work; and uniformed personnel and quarantine officers shall be present at border points."
Travel restrictions in and out of the capital will also be implemented.
A labor group says another lockdown will never resolve rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines after the government announced that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under the enhanced community quarantine starting Monday.
“The Duterte government seems to be deliberate in focusing its efforts in imposing quarantine and lockdown measures instead of addressing the rising cases of COVID-19 and the worsening state of the pandemic through medical solutions and scientific approach,” says Defend Jobs Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the implementation of enhanced community quarantine is meant to slow down the increase of COVID-19 cases, so hospitals and health workers will not be overwhelmed.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announces that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal are placed under enhanced community quarantine starting Monday, March 29.
Tuguegarao City will be placed under enhanced community quarantine from January 20 to 29 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba approved the request of Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano to place the city under ECQ for 10 days.
According to the Cagayan Provincial Information Office, the city currently has 246 active cases.
BREAKING NEWS | ENERO 19, 2021 RIATF INAPRUBAHAN NA ANG PAGSASAILALIM SA TUGUEGARAO CITY SA 10-ARAW NA...
Posted by Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Batangas, one of the provinces hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, has reported no new cases of the disease for two consecutive days.
The provincial DOH Office says the number of COVID-19 cases in the province stood at 91 with no new cases as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lipa City has the most cases with 26, followed by Batangas City (21) and Nasugbu (11).
Tanauan City has the fourth most cases with eight, followed by Bauan (5) and Alitagtag (3). Cuenca and Sto. Tomas City had two cases each, while the municipalities of Calaca, Lemery, Lian, Lobo, Mabini, Mataas na Kahoy, Padre Garcia, San Jose, San Juan, San Pascual and Taal had one case each, respectively. — The Filipino Connection
- Latest
- Trending
