A showcase of Filipino bayanihan spirit amid the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic may have exposed cracks in our national response, but it has also aptly showcased our bayanihan spirit.

Despite the cloud of uncertainty, many have addressed the shortfalls created by the virus and the lockdown. Initiatives from both the government and the private sector have provided relief for those who’ve lost their means to earn, transportation for those who must still get to work and essentials for the health workers and other frontliners. The private sector, in particular, is pounced by the lockdown—what, with the disrupted workflows, zero footfall, reduced revenues and the overall evident uncertainty. Despite having their own challenges to face, many companies have shelled out resources to help the nation fight COVID-19. Here are some developers who stand to lose profit because of the pandemic but have certainly not lost their heart for the Filipino people.

Caring for workers and locators

The Ayala group is shelling out P2.4 billion in “wages, bonuses, leave conversions and loan deferments” to cushion the lockdown’s impact on its employees and locators.

“Ayala continues to ensure that those who are most directly affected by this emergency are taken care of through these financial assistance measures,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala in a joint statement. “In these most trying times, those significantly affected by the COVID-19 situation are the thousands of workers that will be affected by the enhanced community quarantine because their places of work have been closed. These include retail workers, construction workers, service providers, security agencies and employees of many similar businesses who are largely on a no-work-no-pay type of employment.”

Half of this emergency response package would comprise salaries. The group earmarked P600 million for salary continuance for displaced workers in construction and retail under Makati Development Corp. and Ayala Malls. The statement further read that Globe Telecoms has “earmarked P270 million for its retail store support staff and vendor partners while all other Ayala companies will reserve another P130 million in personnel related financial support.” The other half of the aid is P1.4 billion in rent condonations, which will provide relief for the merchants, who will get to enjoy free rent until April 14. Ayala’s own employees meanwhile are set to benefit from “salary continuance and financial support where possible as most of these employees will be getting their mid-year bonuses normally paid in April starting today (March 17) through the end of March.”

Committed to people, partners and the public

Developer Ortigas Land has likewise implemented measures aligned with the needs of its stakeholders.

“As the country faces challenging times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ortigas Land remains committed to support its people, its partners and the public,” the company said.

Adhering to the government’s appeal, Ortigas Land has ensured its employees would now work from home and will be provided medical assistance in the interim if needed. Tenants’ rental dues are likewise waived until April 14 to provide some relief, help businesses manage their losses, and enable them to assist their own employees during these challenging times. While the malls are shuttered, the company has meanwhile kept open essential services such as groceries, drugstores, banks and restaurants with home delivery services, to continually supply the basic and emergency needs of the public.

One with the nation

Alliance Global Group Inc. earlier announced that it would donate a million liters of alcohol to frontline workers, including medical personnel, policemen, soldiers and other marshals of the lockdown.

“We are one with the nation in the fight to heal our country from COVID-19,” noted Kevin Andrew L. Tan, chief executive officer of AGI.

Dr. Andrew L. Tan and son, Kevin

AGI subsidiary Megaworld also announced in a statement issued Thursday that it is waiving rental charges of its tenants and retail partners in its shopping malls and commercial centers in Luzon up to April 12. Megaworld Lifestyle Malls in particular will also “assist mall merchants like supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics and banks that have been allowed to open during the quarantine period in terms of in-store sanitation and disinfecting efforts.” Apart from these efforts, Megaworld has extended food assistance for healthcare and medical personnel in various Metro Manila hospitals including border security personnel. So far, more than 1,000 food packs have been distributed while McDonald’s food boxes are set to be distributed in the coming days.

Sending support to the frontlines

The owners of the Villar group of companies, a key player in real estate development, leasing and retail, donated much-needed supplies to hospitals and other agencies in the frontlines.

Manuel B. Villar Jr.

The Villar family gave to the Department of Health 200,000 face masks, daily supply of water and disinfecting apparatuses, which would help address the needs of workers in institutions providing medical, security, peace-and-order, as well as emergency services.

Healing the Philippines

For its part, the SM Group has enforced policies to participate in the effort to #HealPH.

Specifically, it pledged P100 million to provide personal protective equipment, some 20,000 test kits and other medical supplies to the Philippine General Hospital, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and other institutions doing testing, treatment and research. SM Supermalls similarly waived rental fees for tenants in its malls nationwide from March 16 to April 14. SM Markets has provided free shuttle service to employees manning essential services amid the suspension of all modes of public transport.