Pangilinan lauds OVP, private sector for teaming up in fight vs COVID-19

Vice President Leni Robredo has personally been in charge of the OVP’s assistance drive for frontliners in the fight against COVID-19, (Photo from the Office of the Vice President)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan praised on Wednesday Vice President Leni Robredo and the initiative of her office to partner with the private sector in efforts to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Pangilinan said that these partnerships were behind the success of the Office of the Vice President in helping the public during the health crisis.

“VP Leni showed in her initiatives that the solution during the pandemic doesn’t solely rely on one leader. The solution to COVID-19 depends on a collective effort. If the people themselves act, this pandemic doesn’t stand a chance,” he said in Filipino.

The OVP, despite being left out of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Cabinet itself, has mobilized itself, with the help of donations and its private sector partners, to help transport medical frontliners and supplies to hospitals.

As of its latest count that was posted on May 25, Robredo’s office received a total of P61.86 million in total donations – broken down to P53.87 million worth of personal protective equipment and P7.99 million for food and care packages — with the money coursed through the online drive of Kaya Natin, an nongovernment advocate of good governance.

The funds were used to provide PPE, some locally sourced, to 21,432 frontliners.

“We need all the help we can get and tapping the help of the private sector is instrumental in the fight against COVID-19,” Pangilinan said.

Apart from medical supplies, the OVP and its private sector partners provided free transportation to medical frontliners and livelihood to market vendors, tricycle and jeepney drivers, and others who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

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