SAN PEDRO CITY –– Bread manufacturer Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. has sought help from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against people spreading false information about their employees supposedly having tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Gardenia President Simplicio Umali, in a phone interview, said all its six factories nationwide were “operating 24/7,” contrary to messages circulating online that one of its plants had to be shut down.
Umali said the company implements “very strict” health and safety protocols among its employees, one of which is the regular conduct of rapid tests to detect coronavirus carriers.
“Once an employee shows any symptom (of the disease), he is not allowed anymore to enter (the premises, until the person tests negative for the coronavirus),” Umali added.
Online messages warn the public about consuming the popular brand of bread after employees contracted the virus, but which Umali claimed as completely false.
In a company statement, Gardenia said it was “deeply saddened by the misinformation (and that) the safety and well being of our employees, customers, and our community (remain) our top priority.”
The company, with its main plant in Biñan City, Laguna, has been producing an average of 750,000 loaves daily, even during the start of the pandemic.