Ilonggo businesses extend help in war on COVID-19

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

Ilonggo business leaders responded to the Iloilo City government’s call for testing kits and food assistance.

The first batch of food assistance distributed to 88 barangays were all donated by private individuals and groups, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas,

The city government received P1 million worth of rice, noodles, and canned foods from the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo, Inc. and Hua Siong College of Iloilo Board of Trustees.

The Que family of Iloilo Supermart chain also donated P1 million for the community kitchens and isolation centers of the city while La Filipina Uy Gongco Group of Companies and Edgar “Injap” Sia each donated P1 million.

“Gapasalamat gid ako sa nagabulig sa aton, dako ang pasalamat ko kay damo ang mga nagabulig sa aton.Kanami lang kay dasig aton paghatag sa mga kabarangayan kay dasig man ang gaabot nga bulig sa aton,” the mayor said in a press conference on Monday.

Apart from food assistance, cash donations of Ilonggo businessmen worth P5.5 million will be used for the purchase of 2,500 test kits from South Korea, according to the mayor.

Treñas said Henry Chusuey of the Hennan Group of Resorts will shoulder the P3.5 million for the test kits on top of P2 million cash donations from the Que Family and Sia.

“They are helping me to order directly sa South Korea. The money will go directly to South Korea so indi na ta maghawid sang kwarta nga ina,” he added.

Meanwhile, P1.6 million worth of cash donations will be used to purchase additional testing kits developed by scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP).

The mayor revealed that two medical technologists from Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) are already in Iloilo City over the weekend to calibrate the machines at Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC).

The medtechs also brought with them 200 testing kits for COVID-19.

“We are hoping that within this week we can start already running tests in WVMC. We will prioritize our PUIs including our health workers and frontliners,” the mayor said.

Private sector groups also donated food commodities and personal protective equipment (PPE) to health workers such as Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. Panay Chapter which donated  250 sacks of rice, 100 boxes of noodles and 30 boxes of canned sardines; Light of

Glory Taxi who donated P250,000 for PPEs; Edgar Tiu of Imperial Appliance donated P500,000; Manuel Po of Systemic Farms donated P200,000 and Unitop extended P200,000.

Property giant Megaworld will also donate 1,000 liters of disinfectant alcohol to the city government to be used by hospitals and medical personnel in the city.

In a press statement, the Andrew Tan-led company will also distribute 3,000 grocery packs to the city barangays which were affected by the enhanced community quarantine order.

They will also extend their help to the families of construction workers in Iloilo Business Park that have been affected by the work stoppage due to the ECQ declaration in the city.

Other donations listed by the city government as of March 23, 2020 include:

• Oscar Chua-154,000 pieces of plastic bags for repacking of rice and 2 boxes of plastic spoon and fork
• Iloilo Bankers Association-800 drums of chlorine to barangays
• VIKINGS-food for 300 persons in city hospitals
• Feline’s – P100,000
• Carlos Uy- P100,000
• James Conlu-40 sacks of 25-kilo rice
• Max Uy of Summer House Restaurant – total of 250 packed lunches for personnel of five hospitals in the city
• Ong family-Yakult milk
• Phoenix Gasoline station- 1,500 liters of diesel fuel
• Jollibee and Luis Go- 1,500 sets of meals
• Chare Lui -100 bottles of mineral water for first responders
• Elpidio Barcarlos- 20 sacks of rice
• USWAG ILONGGO- 15,000 pieces of hamburger
• (Anonymous) – 1,200 sacks at 25 kilos per bag
• 500 sleeping mattresses and beddings from Grand Xing for frontline health workers temporarily staying at the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC)
• Dewfoam – 100 brand new mattresses  for hospital frontliners’  temporary shelter at ICCC
• Vince Tiu of Avescor Motors – 300 sacks of rice
• Iloilo City Government Employees Credit Cooperative at City Hall- 20 sacks of rice
• JD Bakeshop- 1,000 pieces of marinated whole chicken
• P100,000 cash and goods from John Yap
• P300,000 from Orly Ong of Westown and Zuri Hotel
• P1 million worth of canned goods through Iloilo Supermart from anonymous donor
• P25,000 from Central Philippine University church
• 5,000 face masks from  MORE Power President Roel Castro
• Sotanghon and 20 trays of eggs from Emmanuel Christian Fellowship and Signpost International
• 200 food packs for frontliners from BryThe Charities c/o Bryan and Therese So
• P1 million cash from Jamora family including P800,000 for PPEs already ordered and P200,000 for community kitchens.