China’s State Grid donates 500,000 surgical masks to PNRC

The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), which is the foreign technical partner of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), has donated 500,00 surgical masks to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), a key institutional partner of the government that is also on the forefront of defeating the lethal infections of the coronavirus.

As noted by SGCC Philippine Office Chief Representative Shan Shewu, “during these challenging times, it is important that friends (referring to China and the Philippines) fight together to stop the spread of Covid19.”

The Red Cross has been aiding the State in the mobilization of resources, not just on much-needed ramp up in Covid-19 testing but also in the provision of relief assistance and pandemic prevention kits to communities all throughout the country.

It has to be recalled that when the pandemic was at its escalation phase in the country, it was the doors of the Chinese government that President Rodrigo Duterte had first knocked on for help in the State’s battle against the novel coronavirus.

Surgical mask is among the primary personal protective equipment (PPE) that medical front-liners can lean on to so they won’t be unduly exposed to the virus while performing their duties.

The donation to PRC was accepted by Elizabeth S. Zavalla, the humanitarian institution’s secretary general, who then extended gratitude to the Chinese firm, with her emphasizing that “these masks will be given to facilities which are in need of PPEs and will also be used by our PRC frontliners especially now that we have our own Covid-19 testing centers.” Also present during the donation turnover are Jiang Jianjun, economic and commercial counselor of the People’s Republic of China; as well as officers of SGCC and PRC.

As emphasized, “around the country, doctors, nurses and other health workers rely on PPE to protect themselves from contracting the virus from the patients they care for.”

In addition, a PPE like surgical mask is highly essential shield for “the sick, elderly and the immunocompromised,” as they are similarly considered distinctly vulnerable to the disease “if they do not have the right protective equipment.”

The Chinese firm added “as the world continues to fight against Covid-19, medical supplies and equipment are becoming essential tools in the fight to slow and stop the spread of the virus.”

The SGCC donation to PRC is on top of the P1.0 billion support that NGCP – with the go-signal of its two major shareholders (Henry T. Sy Jr and Robert Coyiuto Jr.) - had extended as a complement to the government’s response package to ease the impact of the health crisis.

NGCP President and CEO Anthony L. Almeda said the company “will continue to look for opportunities to support the government in battling this pandemic. We recognize that the only way to defeat this global threat is through our collective efforts.”