The onslaught of the Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 shook the whole world to engage in massive medical warfare. Within weeks from the time, it was declared a pandemic, it had reached most countries, putting everybody’s lives at stake. Quelling the crisis soon became a priority, with numerous actions taken by world leaders and social welfare groups.
Here in the Philippines, efforts to lessen the pandemic’s impact have been done all the way to the grassroots, in local government units or LGUs. The Inter-Agency Task Force or IATF noted that LGUs know their respective areas better, which is why they should come up with their own crisis management strategies, in addition to those implemented by the national government.
This, of course, wasn’t a task the government could do alone. Here in Zamboanga City, schools were quick to join in the fight against COVID. Ateneo de Zamboanga University offered its Lantaka Campus to be a COVID isolation facility run by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. Western Mindanao State University offered sites in their campus to be training venues for Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams and donated gallons of alcohol produced by their chemistry department. Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College donated face shields and personal protective equipment or PPEs. Universidad de Zamboanga donated swabbing booths to speed up the collection of swab samples. Just in time for Eid’l Fitr, the Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School donated food packs to less fortunate families in the city.
Several businesses and companies also generously made donations to the city’s resources. Among those that gave food packs and supplies were Coca Cola Bottlers Inc. Zamboanga, Virginia Foods Inc., Asia United Bank, Nebraska Zamboanga – Del Monte, Bake’s Field Enterprises, Mega Fishing Sardines, Victory Shipping, Welmar Marketing Inc., Cakes!, Blugre Coffee, and BPI Business Center – Zamboanga. San Miguel Mills Inc., meanwhile, donated over 1000 sacks of flour for bakeries and pastry shop owners in the city.
On the other hand, other businesses, foundations, and organizations donated equipment such as PPEs, face masks, and face shields mostly for health workers and frontliners. These included 2M Construction and Enterprises, Mindanao Communicators Network, Metro Pacific Investment Foundation, MVP Foundation, Shields for Heroes PH, Tzu Chi Foundation, the Chinese Consulate of Davao City, Alagaan ang Sambayanang Pilipino Inc. (ASAP Inc.), Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Filipino Chinese Friendship Association, Progressive Mason Club, Amity Club, and Lin Tek Keng Association. San Miguel Foundation most recently donated 10 canisters of disinfectant powder to the City Government.
These are just some out of many other groups and businesses that took part in the war against the pandemic. These groups are true acts of Pro Deo et Patria, as they stood up to their social responsibilities and selflessly shared their resources to those who needed them.
