While everyone is mandated to stay home amid the enhanced community quarantine being observed in Metro Manila and other key cities and provinces in the country, there are professionals, uniformed personnel, and other employees who are required to still report to work to ensure that the public keeps access to basic necessities, essential goods, and important services. They are our frontline heroes.
That is why Universal Robina Corporation (URC) and the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) have been showing support to these front liners through the distribution of handy food and beverage products to make sure these modern heroes remain up and energetic to perform their duties amid these trying times.
As part of this initiative, Great Taste Coffee, Nissin Noodles, Magic Crackers, and C2 are distributed to several checkpoints and hospitals where front liners are dealing with the crisis—through providing security, continuous basic services, and healthcare for ailing patients (who may or may not have tested positive for Covid-19).
The URC products are being delivered to hospitals and healthcare facilities like the Philippine Lung Center, the Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue Hospital, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Units of the Department of Health in the National Capital Region and Region 4A (CALABARZON).
Soldiers, policemen, barangay officials, and health workers manning checkpoints in Pasig, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao are also recipients of boxes of food and beverage items to help tide them over as they endure long hours under the searing sun just to perform their duties.
Meanwhile, GBF has also created a P100-million fund to back the national government’s efforts to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The foundation is committed to distributing surgical masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers.
GBF has initially identified the U.P. Medical Foundation Inc. and PGH Medical Foundation for those PPEs, plus possible ventilator purchases and other arising needed support for the health workers. There are other priority hospitals that are being shortlisted and identified in the coming days.