The PLDT Group and PLDT-Smart Foundation continued its support to Cebu’s fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by donating personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks, disinfecting kits, and ethyl alcohol for the front-liners.
In a statement on Sunday, Esther Santos, PLDT-Smart Foundation president, said the group, in coordination with ZTE Corp. and Leads Agricultural Corp. and Tulong Kapatid and other partners, has prioritized Cebu in the donation, considering that it is one of the Covid-19 hot spots in the country.
At least 10 hospitals, eight state schools and universities, three local government units (LGUs), and one national government agency were recipients of the donation.
“We in PLDT-Smart Foundation and our partners are united in support of our front-liners. With the rise in Covid-19 cases in Cebu, we responded to the call of our colleagues to provide personal protective equipment and other items necessary for the protection of our front-liners,” Santos said.
Among the recipients of the donations are the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu City Medical Center, Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital, Lapu Lapu City District Hospital, Cebu Provincial Hospital-Bogo City, Talisay City District Hospital, Minglanilla District Hospital, Carcar City District Hospital, Isidro C. Kintanar Memorial Hospital-Argao, Balamban District Hospital, and Dr. Jose Ma. Borromeo Memorial Pinamungajan District Hospital.
The Cordova National High School, Arcelo Memorial National High School, Talamban National High School, Cabancalan National High School, Cordova Catholic Cooperative School, Cebu Normal University, Abellana National High School, Cebu Technological University-Argao, Philippine Information Agency-Region 7 Office, City Government of Toledo, Carcar City LGU and Liloan town also received the donated items.
Santos said boxes of face masks, PPE, disinfecting kits, and ethyl alcohol were also distributed to media offices.
She said one of the recipients, the Cebu Provincial Hospital-Bogo, has devoted almost half of its authorized bed capacity solely for Covid-19 patients.
“Our heart aches every time we learn that we have Covid cases here in Bogo. We are a very intimate community. We know almost everyone. As medical front-liners, we always make sure to protect ourselves in order to take care of our people,” said Dr. Zoraida Yurango, chief of the Cebu Provincial Hospital-Bogo.
Yurango said there were days when supplies easily ran out. The hospital was thankful that many have shown their support to Bogo City from both the government and the private sectors.
Another recipient of the donation was the Philippine Information Agency-Region 7. PIA-7 head Fayette Riñen said the agency shares the same objective of developing resilient communities, especially in this time of the pandemic. (PNA)
