National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said it chartered a Philippine Airlines flight to deliver two million facemasks, 400,000 KN95 masks, 50,000 N95 masks and 21,000 infrared thermometers which recently arrived in Manila.
The move is part of NGCP’s P1-billion donation to the government’s COVID-19 relief and response efforts.
NGCP, the country’s lone transmission operator, said in a statement the medical supplies would be turned over to around 300 hospitals and city/municipal/rural health units across the country.
The medical equipment donation includes ventilators, respirators, 10,000 test kits and over 6.6 million pieces of personal protective equipment for frontliners such as hazmat suits, full face shields, gloves, shoe covers, disposable gowns, surgical caps and goggles.
Essential supplies such as alcohol and disinfecting solution are also included.
NGCP said 43 hospitals already received an initial delivery of medical equipment and supplies as of April 30.
It said part of the P1-billion donation is the distribution of P500 million worth of grocery items to 1,028 cities and municipalities across the country.
Around 628 out of 1,028 local government units or 921,500 out of 1.25 million grocery packs have been distributed as of April 29.
Other COVID-19 donations by NGCP include a P5-million contribution to Project Ugnayan, which distributes supermarket gift certificates to over 1..5 million economically displaced families in Metro Manila; earlier donations of medical supplies, PPEs and meals to frontliners; and the “Meals on Wheels” program which distributes hot meals to communities affected by the extended enhanced community quarantine.
“On behalf of NGCP’s board of directors, particularly major stockholders Henry Sy Jr., Robert Coyiuto Jr. and the State Grid of China Corp., we would like to inform you that NGCP will donate P1 billion to aid our medical frontliners to support the president’s efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Philippines,” NGCP president and chief executive Anthony Almeda said in a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte earlier.