PAGCOR donates P2.5B for COVID-19 response

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said Tuesday it has donated a total of P2.5 billion to the national government to help address the spread of  coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

In a statement, PAGCOR chairman Andrea Domingo said the amount, which was released in two tranches, “will be used for the procurement of personal protective equipment of healthcare frontliners, additional operating expenses of the Bureau of Quarantine, and support for the tests being conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.”

Domingo said the PAGCOR’s donation will help ease the funding concerns of the country’s healthcare sector—especially those who have inadequate supply of personal protective equipment, medicines, testing kits, among others.

“Containing the spread of the virus at the community level is very important as this will further curb spread of the disease. But many of our public hospitals and healthcare facilities are not fully equipped to handle a pandemic of this magnitude. Hence, the need for all of us to work together,” she said.

Domingo said that PAGCOR’s donation can help ensure that “our healthcare workers who are directly dealing with infected persons are protected so that they can continue to safeguard the health of Filipinos in this time of crisis.”

She also commended all healthcare workers and other frontliners for their selflessness, dedication and service to the nation.

“Thank you for serving our country and the Filipino people. Rest assured that PAGCOR will continue to provide support to our government during these trying times. We are all in this together until this pandemic is over,” Domingo said. — Ted Cordero/BM, GMA News