By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
Garment exporters and government agencies have partnered to start production of medical grade personal protective equipment (PPE) coveralls starting after the Holy Week for the country’s health workers.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez announced that this is a joint initiative of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), DTI, and Department of Health.
Member-companies of CONWEP and the Board of Investments have collaborated to design the prototype coverall PPEs. The prototype was approved by the DOH.
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has provided the financing by buying the initial 10,000 coverall PPEs as part of the conglomerate’s P500 million fund to augment the supply of PPEs for health workers. SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang said they will donate the PPEs to the Philippine General Hospital.
“We need to protect our healthcare workers as they are in the frontline of our fight against COVID 19. With PPEs in short supply globally, the government and private sector have collaborated closely to locally-produce these critical items needed to protect those who are protecting us against this virus,” said Lopez.
According to Lopez, while there are constraints in the availability of raw materials, as medical-grade fluid impermeable textiles have to be imported, CONWEP was able to source medical-grade materials including the face hoodie part and garters which has fabric importation certificates from an international accreditation firm.
The materials will be air shipped on April 9 and roll out of production at the garment factories will immediately start after the Holy Week, he said.
Lopez thanked SMC for providing the initial financing as he noted that the export business of CONWEP is based on a very competitive model where margins are literally paper-thin.
“While they employ a significant number of workers and are able to export Philippine-made wearables globally, they are not among the biggest Filipino companies in terms of financial resources,” he said.
For his part, SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said, “When we announced our ₱500 million fund to acquire PPEs, our goal was primarily to boost supply of protective gear. But we also felt this is one way we can help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our SMEs. Now more than ever, we need local manufacturers to produce not just food and other necessities, but the very tools we need to fight this pandemic. At this crucial time, we only have each other to lean on. Filipinos helping other Filipinos. That is how we will beat Covid-19.”
Lopez expects other business groups’ support to the project — locally-manufacturing medical grade PPEs that will protect those who protect lives.
For his part, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III explained that in the midst of the global shortages in PPEs, the Inter Agency Task Force through the DTI and DOH in partnership with PGH and CONWEP has mobilized the local garments and textile industry to mass produce PPEs for our health workers towards a more responsive and sustainable supply in the country.
“With this initiative, the Philippines will be able to produce medical grade coveralls to protect health workers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 efforts,” said Duque.
Not all PPEs, even if they have a certain level of waterproofing, are resistant to or can withstand contaminants — adding to the already significant exposure risks of our frontliners.
Recognizing the enormous risks that our healthcare frontliners are facing, CONWEP emphasized that the project focused on medical-grade PPEs from the very beginning.
This locally produced medical-grade prototype can be used even in the high COVID-risk hospital situations like operating rooms, COVID 19 positive wards, ICUs, and the like.
Medical and healthcare groups have repeatedly called for donations of PPEs for the country's frontliners, with supplies dwindling amidst the rapid spike of COVID-19 cases in the country. The Philippine Medical Association for one, previously said deaths could have been prevented if there was enough PPE supply.
Dr. Regina Berna Head of the PGH Hospital Infection Control Unit (HICU) said that, “locally-made PPEs which meet standards are exactly what we need during this pandemic period which further complicated by limited access to stocks from traditional supplier. We at the PGH HICU have seen and tested a sample of the CONWEP-BOI PPE. Its material and design meet our strict requirements for PPEs to be used by our health force.”