OVP raises over P50-M for COVID-19 frontliners’ protective gear

The Office of Vice President's fund-raising drive raised more than P50 million for the purchase of personal protective equipment for medical workers combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Vice President Leni Robredo said her office was able to raise a total of P50,930,160.01 by Maundy Thursday, which was equivalent to 116,262 PPE sets and 13,241 food and care packages for the frontliners.

Currently, Robredo said they had distributed 69,075 PPEs to 327 hospitals nationwide, as well as 6,607 food and care packages for hospital orderlies, janitors, security guards and other workers in Metro Manila.

With this, the Vice President thanked the fund drive’s donors for their help and support.

Aside from the donation drive, Robredo also opened various dormitories nationwide for health workers and other utility workers struggling to get to their workplaces due to the suspension of mass public transportation amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.

The OVP also provided shuttle services to help frontliners get to their workplaces.

As of Saturday, there were a total of 4,648 reported cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, including 297 deaths and 197 recoveries. — DVM. GMA News