By James A. Loyola LBC Express is committing ₱50 million worth of washable and reusable 2-ply masks to support Filipino communities and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in at-risk areas. In a statement, the firm said this part of LBC’s response to the temporary shortage of masks and the distribution of these in densely populated areas of the country will be addressed. LBC said this will be done in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC.) “The current situation calls for people to do their ‘part’: be it by staying at home, or having to risk their own safety by going to work, to treat the sick. For us at LBC, our ‘part’ is to move-- together with our courageous frontliners, and join the fight.” said LBC Foundation Executive Director Nena L. Wuthrich. She added that, “LBC is starting this mask program with hopes of being one with all Filipinos--to ‘flatten the curve.’ This initiative is also set to assist in educating the public more, on the vital function of masks to protect not just themselves, but also others around them. We believe that masks can and will save lives.” This initiative concurs with the recent announcement of The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, mandating the public to wear any type of mask before leaving their place of residence, to minimize or if not totally to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 virus from one person to another.