Robredo: P61-M OVP funds, donations used to purchase 231K PPEs, testing kits

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has released the latest updates on her office’s efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including being able to raise P61 million worth of donations from their private sector partners.

Robredo said in a Facebook post on Thursday that they have accumulated a total of P61.86 million from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) funds and donation drives led by the Kaya Natin Good Governance and Ethical Leadership foundation.

Of the total amount, P53.87 million was used to purchase 321,480 personal protective equipment sets (PPEs), of which 231,450 have been delivered.  This has served 15,430 frontliners in at least 1,151 institutions nationwide.

Additionally, P7.992 million was allocated to 17,271 food and care packs to 108 institutions.  Other medical supplies — over 3,200 liters of alcohol; 19,000 bottles of sanitizers; 70,400 surgical masks; 18,740 face shields; 116,400 pieces of gloves; and 9,850 headcovers — were also delivered to 723 institutions.

Robredo said that OVP also managed to tap 13 sewing groups in Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Rizal, plus three in Cebu province — ensuring their jobs amid the pandemic while producing 19,500 PPEs.

Furthermore, P10.45 million worth of hot meals were also provided to hospitals, health centers, locally-stranded individuals (LSIs), clinics, checkpoints, and various communities.  A total of 1,789 LSIs were also given transportation assistance to allow them to return home.

Robredo said that it was quite hard to respond to the needs of the people as gaps in the COVID-19 response open up just after they solve a problem.

“Our list of initiatives has grown longer over the past five months, driven primarily by a natural tendency of filling the gaps we find. In every initiative we launched, a new need was discovered—each one just as pressing, affecting the everyday lives of our people,” Robredo said.

“We knew we could not sit idly by, and that our actions must always be geared towards the bigger goal of empowering those that we assist, as we march towards our hopes for a better normal,” she added.

Aside from this, OVP was also able to procure 12,750 testing kits worth P5.325 million, which were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).  Another 10,000 testing kits, this time produced by the University of the Philippines worth P14.78 million, were also sent to the San Lazaro Hospital, V. Luna Hospital, and the Philippine General Hospital.

But afar from donations, OVP also spearheaded various free shuttle services for frontliners.  For the first phase of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) over Luzon and other areas including Metro Manila, the free shuttle service done with private partners like Ube Express, Diamond Motors, Pilipinas Autogroup, Seaoil, and Kada Uno have served 11,429 passengers.

Then during the modified ECQ from August 4 to August 18, at least 8,800 passengers were served.  There were also 500 frontliners given dormitory rooms to allow them to stay in areas near their workplaces.

Robredo said that they are motivated to work, despite the several challenges they faced and are facing, due to the perseverance of Filipino frontliners trying to help in solving problems created by the pandemic.

“It sure hasn’t been easy, given the limitations before us, but what has fueled our response operations during these difficult few months is the wellspring of generosity, of willingness, and of heart that our fellow Filipinos have shown,” Robredo explained.

“We are grateful to witness this—our faith in the goodness of the Filipino affirmed again and again and again. Muli, maraming, maraming salamat po sa bawat isang nakikiisa sa pagsuporta sa ating magigiting na frontliners, at sa pag-akay sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan,” she said.  “Tunay nga na tayo ang nagdadala ng pag-asa sa isa’t isa.”

JE