MPIC Group Rallies With Gov’t In Efforts To Fight Covid-19

Allocates over P264M in relief assistance; mobilizes companies in nationwide program to ensure health, safety

Makati, Philippines, 20th April 2020 – Metro Pacific Investments Corporation together with its operating companies and Foundations (the MPIC Group) have donated millions of pesos worth of virus specimen collection kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), medicine, face masks, water supplies, as well as transportation services for medical frontliners.  

Philippine healthcare workers in Metro Manila hospitals are becoming more vulnerable to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with stocks of PPE running out, and the number of suspected and confirmed cases continues to rise.

The MPIC Group has also mobilized its subsidiaries and foundations to provide relief assistance to families in need across marginalized communities in the Manila area. 

Heeding the President’s call

Concerns were raised at the start of the week that existing supply of protective gear in more than 60 private and public hospitals in the region may only last a week if not replenished with supplementary stocks from the private sector. 

Heeding  the call of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, MPIC companies such as Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), Maynilad Water Services, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), Global Business Power (GBP) and the MPIC Hospital group, as well as Metro Pacific Investments Foundation and One Meralco Foundation, have mobilized and distributed over P264 million worth of support to various municipalities, government agencies, medical institutions, and marginalized communities all over the country.

Employee care package

The conglomerate also mobilized a nationwide internal program to take care of its thousands of employees involved in infrastructure projects all over the country, through the continuance of salaries and benefits during the corona virus crisis period. The companies made provisions for hygiene supplies (i.e. masks, health kits and vitamins), and ensured advance payment of mid-year bonuses while on lockdown from March 15 to April 30. 

MPIC employees were also given work from home (WFH) allowance for electricity and internet needs, vitamins, with managers and executives provided a cash equivalent to replace fleet card liters.

Utilities with round-the-clock services such as Meralco and Maynilad received medical assistance, PPE and hygiene kits for lockdown and mission critical operations, including skeletal workforces, shuttle bus services, meal allowances and roving company doctors on call, among others.

Support to RITM, hospitals, health care centers, and marginalized communities

MPIC/MPIF donated over P7.9M worth of virus specimen collection tubes, PPEs such as nitrile gloves, goggles, and coveralls, and vitamins to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the Philippine Genome Center. 200 PPEs, 100 boxes of Clusivol, and 10 Tulip Tabletop Water Filters were also donated to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. MPIC/MPIF also procured 2,000 full PPE kits with surgical face masks, N95 facemasks, disposable head caps, disposable shoe covers, disposable coveralls, disposable surgical gowns, and anti-fog goggles to be donated to various hospitals in Mindanao.  

3,000 relief packs with rice, canned goods, bread, milk packs sponsored by Nutriline Inc., and hygiene kits sponsored by Unilever are also continuously being distributed to depressed areas in Manila in partnership with Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc. 

MPTC coordinated with some 220 barangays along the NLEX, SCTEX and Cavitex network to donate P4.5M worth of relief goods; One Meralco Foundation distributed face masks to the Rizal and Philippine heart centers, as well as the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Both Maynilad, the MPIC-led utility concessionaire for Metro Manila’s west zone, and Meralco contributed P25M each to the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation’s (PDRF) Project Ugnayan. 

Maynilad provided over 31,000 bottles of water to hundreds of checkpoints of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Makati Medical Center, Rizal Medical, San Juan Medical, Cardinal Santos, V. Luna and Pasig Gen hospitals, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAA), the Philippine Navy, UP-PGH, the local government units of Malabon, Parañaque, Putatan, Caloocan, and Navotas, the Office of Vice President Leni Robredo, the Office of Rep. Ruffy Biazon, the Incident Management Team (IMT) at the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Camp Aguinaldo.

Maynilad aided the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through providing water tankers to the Portofino checkpoint, NLEX Balintawak, NLEX Mindanao Ave.,Tala Hospital, and Tunasan Muntinlupa for disinfection. They also assisted the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) by providing one canter van for delivery of relief goods in Tanay, Rizal and Quezon province.

LRMC waived fixed monthly areas and other service fees for LRT-1 merchants, provided free alcohol and thermometer units to all LRT-1 merchants and commuters, as well as implemented disinfection and sanitation services for all trains and public transport vehicles.  

One Meralco Foundation, Maynilad, and LRMC provided transportation assistance for health workers, donating eJeeps, vans and coasters to serve as free shuttle services. GBP has also donated half a million pesos for transportation assistance.

GBP’s Iloilo plant site also donated P300,000 to their LGU for alcohol, face masks, canned goods, noodles, and other necessities. They replaced medical equipment (weighing scales, BP apparatus, nebulizers, thermometers) for the Adopt-a-Health-Center Program, as well as provided hygiene kits to the barangay health workers and health emergency response teams of 20 adopted barangays. The local government of Toledo City, Cebu also received over P300,000 for their purchase of food items such as rice, canned goods, and noodles. 

MetroPac Movers, Inc., the group’s logistics arm, provided logistical support to the companies through assisting the hospitals group for supplies delivery to the VisMin area, as well as assisting MPIC and MPIF with the distribution of their donations to their beneficiaries. 

Prioritize protection of health care workers

“For now, the mandate from our Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan is to provide and prioritize the well-being and protection of our employees for the continued and efficient services from our utility business including health care workers from the Metro Pacific Hospital Group.  We are also trying to help various public hospitals including the Philippine National Police and LGU volunteers,” said MPIF President Melody del Rosario. 

Del Rosario also pointed out that many hospitals are currently relying on donations from the private sector and various non-governmental organizations, as their previous suppliers can no longer respond to their increased need. Supplies most needed by the frontline workers are N95 and surgical masks, gloves, disposable gowns, and goggles.

Aside from pooling in all needed relief goods, medical equipment for COVID-19 response, like respirators and cardiac monitors, medical practitioners throughout the conglomerate have also expressed willingness to extend their help.

“We have to do this — this is a state of emergency,” she said. “Wala nang private or government. It’s a matter of collaboration.” she added.

END

For further information, please contact:

Melody del Rosario

VP – Public Relations and Corporate Communications, MPIC

09189635639