MSMEs step up

As we close week two of the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) lockdown, more businesses continue to add to the list of the country’s Good Samaritans, who are consistently extending help to those most vulnerable to the disease. We salute, especially, the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which, despite being hit hard by the crisis, have ma­naged to mobilize relief efforts.

Inquirer Business shines the spotlight this week on:

Tokyo Style Diner (40 Purple Street corner Beige, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City).

Working closely with the volunteers behind COVID-19 Food Drive PH (formerly known as The Enderun Community Drive, which was established during the aftermath of Typhoon “Ondoy” in order to provide meals to those affected), owner Nash Casten and his wife have been donating food to medical front-li­ners at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina, as well as Barangay Calawis in Antipolo. Casten says they’ve collec­ted around P10,000 to P12,000 worth of donations, which they use to buy ingredients for the food packs they distribute. Aside from medical front-liners, Casten and his wife also help seniors living near their residence by restocking their shelves with necessary provisions.

“We’re calling the initiative ‘Pasabuy.’ We figured, we might as well include our senior neighbors when we restock our own supplies,” Casten says. “Our business will take a hit, and there’s nothing we can do about that. But what we can do is to pivot and help our community.”

CDO Makers Response Team

The Cagayan de Oro-based nonprofit composed of six different enterprises have been 3D-printing and dona­ting face shields to medical establishments around the province. So far, over 200 have been distributed, says Raven Duran, the group’s coordinator, and owner of a 3D printing business called Tabletop Smith, which makes 3D-printed custom toys and figures. The plan, Duran adds, is to create around 700 more face shields, based on the current demand.

Marikina-based restaurant owners give out meals to medical front-liners.

Mighty Tech Advertising and Merchandising

The Manila-based company, which offers various services (acrylic, wood and metal fabrication; signage making; printing; laser cutting and engraving; adverti­sing), has been manu­facturing aerosol boxes for COVID-19 patients. The clear box helps reduce doctors’ exposure to the virus while intubated. So far, since March 24, Mighty Tech has been producing 50 to 70 units per day, and has so far been able to donate these boxes to the Phili­ppine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines.

Shark Philippines

The car accessories manufacturer is also making aerosol boxes for donation to hospitals. In the works are 100 pie­ces of this protective equipment.

Aerosol boxes for health workers

Subida Souvenirs

Based in Negros Oriental, Subida works with local craftsmen to create an assortment of products using bamboo and other kinds of wood. However, to supplement the need of medi­cal front-liners for personal protective equipment, Subida has decided to work with plastic to create face shields. So far, the social enterprise has been able to produce enough for the demand in Negros Oriental, but is finding ways to ramp up production to cater to more institutions in need of such product.

WeCARE

We Connect, Act, and Respond to Emergency (WeCARE) is a centralized community platform that connects the country’s medical and emergency support organizations who are urgently in need of food, equipment and other supplies to individuals or groups who are able and willing to help. WeCARE was developed by Cortex Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Concepcion Industrial Corp. (provider of air conditioning solutions and refrigerators), specifically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific instructions on how the nonprofit platform works are listed on https://wecare.ph/faq-page.