PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said medical workers could just fix their face shields themselves when these deteriorate due to frequent use.

Is the garter loose? Just tighten it, or buy another piece of garter and replace it, Duterte said

“Ito ‘yung nagdeteriorate, foam lang ‘to eh, and of course, ‘yung garter, pero the garter over time maging maluwang ‘yan. So you transfer there’s a button there, ilipat mo naman dito para hihigpit uli. Over time, ‘pag maubos itong butas at isang butas na lang naiwan, bumili ka na lang ng garter, talian mo lang at iganoon mo sa likod mo, eh ‘di tapos,” he said.

Once the foam becomes brittle, Duterte said this could also be replaced. Or a folded handkerchief may be used in lieu of the foam.

“Kung wala ka namang foam, puwede ka namang magtrapo ng ano panyo mo. Ito lang actually ‘yung foam, marami kang makitang foam ngayon, guntingin mo lang, ilagay mo ng paste, ‘yun na ‘yun, if that is really what is... what you're talking about the product,” he added.

The Department of Health (DOH) distributed medical-grade face shields to healthcare frontliners at the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020.

The face shields were supplied by Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, whose government contracts amounting to over P12 million are being scrutinized by the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Pharmally administrative assistant Krizle Mago told the Senate panel on September 24 that she was instructed to change the product certificates of the face shields to make it appear that these were manufactured in 2021.

The shields were manufactured in 2020 and were also delivered by Pharmally to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management, which made the procurement in behalf of the DOH, in the same year.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said medical-grade face shields expire 36 months after these were manufactured. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)