Ensuring a SAFE Philippines as the country reopens in the time of COVID-19

As the country adjusted to the new normal brought about by COVID-19, essential businesses nationwide are gearing to reopen while Filipino workers are set on going back to their offices. However, tempering the enthusiasm of businesses to reopen and of workers on getting back to work is the harsh reality that the coronavirus is still very much present and active.

Teaming up to ensure that the country reopens seamlessly without massively spiking the number of COVID-19 infected are the public and private sectors. These two have been working hand-in-hand with projects complementing each other to keep the populace safe and healthy. In case you have no idea about this partnership, scroll below to see how the public and private sectors conspire to keep you and everyone else safe from COVID-19 here in the Philippines.

Mass testing and contact tracing

No, mass testing is not the indiscriminate testing of the entire population of the Philippines (around 105 million Filipinos). Mass testing refers to the targeted testing of people who are most likely to catch the novel coronavirus. Directly correlated with mass testing, contact tracing, on the other hand, is the process of identifying everyone who has been possibly exposed to the virus through close contact.

Systematic application of contact tracing aims to break the cycle of transmission and get everyone exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual tested for the virus. The Philippines even has its very own contact tracing app - staysafe.ph.

Mobilizing the private sector

The global pandemic has once again shown that the private sector is always ready to heed the call of duty when disaster strikes. 2020 has proved to be a very challenging one to the Filipino nation in particular. Still recovering from the Taal Volcano eruption in January, the country and the rest of the world watched in horror as the novel coronavirus wreaked havoc first in China, and then worldwide next.

As the number of cases started piling up, the antibacterial soap brand--Safeguard sought and developed new ways to mobilize their workforce and products to help the nation cope up since handwashing is considered as one of the most effective ways to avoid the spread of the virus.

Just last year, in 2019, more than 100,000 students benefited from the handwashing facilities that Safeguard built in public schools nationwide. Furthermore, Safeguard has long-standing partnerships with government institutions like the Department of Health and the Department of Education, and non-government organizations such as the Red Cross and the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists. These ties are utilized by the company to promote its handwashing and hand sanitizing education advocacy among children to stop the spread of hand-borne infections and diseases.

This year, Safeguard’s very own BayaniHands Project helped support the gargantuan efforts of the Philippine Red Cross in providing aid to our brave frontliners nationwide. The company’s efforts to help during the pandemic, even while under quarantine restrictions, managed to provide relief to a total of 15,000 frontliners in more than 50 COVID-19 hospitals all over the country.

Towards a SAFE new normal

As the world settles in with the new normal, letting our guards down might eventually bring forth a resurgence in new cases and a deadlier second wave. With new safety measures in place designed to enforce physical distancing in the public sphere to break the possibility of transmission-- from new seating rules, health checks and the ubiquitous presence of face masks while being complemented by the health measures being instituted by private companies, Safeguard has taken it upon itself to make its vision of a SAFE Philippines a reality even in the middle of a raging global pandemic.

''Safeguard's mission has always been to help Filipinos keep themselves and their loved ones safe. This is more critical now than ever before. As the country reopens, I am proud to share that Safeguard is stepping up with meaningful partnerships to work towards keeping the Philippines SAFE.'' says Raffy Fajardo, Managing Director of P&G Philippines.

True to its goal, Safeguard has lent a helping hand to various institutions that are already open or thinking of reopening. This is by making its vast portfolio of degerming products such as soap and hand sanitizer more accessible to establishments that need them. This includes recently reopened malls where Safeguard hand soaps would be made available in their restrooms nationwide. This would ensure that mall goers who are buying essential supplies would have access to an antibacterial soap in the restroom for handwashing.

This meaningful collaboration between the public and private sectors to keep the Philippines safe would be in naught, though, if citizens wouldn’t do their part in keeping the country and everyone in it safe from the pandemic. This means rigorous self-enforcement and discipline every time someone steps out of their home. It’s still a long way to go before a vaccine eventually becomes available, but for now, these public-private efforts would be enough to ensure that we can continue keeping the nation safe and sound.