MANILA -- UPS, a global leader in logistics, has in the past month, supported the Philippines’ battle against the coronavirus pandemic, as it facilitated the shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE), including hospital gowns and face masks, to frontline workers.
Last month, in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PRDF), the country’s major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster management, UPS supported the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines’ (Conwep) shipments of medical-grade fabric from Shenzhen, China.
The strong demonstration of public-private partnership saw a total of 47 tons of medical-grade fabric delivered by UPS over multiple shipments, with the first shipment fulfilled within five days of the DTI-PDRF request.
The UPS Foundation, which leads the global citizenship programs for UPS, provided additional in-kind support by covering the freight charges for the shipments.
Reliance Producers Cooperative, which is a Cavite-based manufacturer and a customer of UPS, will be producing isolation suits from the shipments, as part of Conwep’s commitment to produce 10,000 PPE coveralls daily.
In a separate initiative, UPS Philippines also facilitated the shipment of necessary supplies to other areas in need in the country.
UPS Philippines made possible the delivery of 132 boxes, equivalent to 1,000 kilograms, of PPE as well as food and supplements, laboratory supplies, and medicines to the local government units in Iloilo and Bohol.
“UPS recognizes the urgent need to equip frontline medical personnel with the necessary personal protective equipment and meet the increasing demand for critical healthcare supplies. This is a global problem that requires concerted and timely effort by public and private stakeholders. Whether it’s efficient domestic distribution of relief supplies or the shipment of healthcare products from medical device manufacturers, we are proud to contribute to the pandemic effort by moving these goods through strategic partnerships worldwide,” said Chris Buono, UPS managing director for the Philippines and Indonesia.
Globally, UPS, through The UPS Foundation, has exceeded US$6 million in grants, logistics and transportation support and has collaborated with relief agencies and multinational organizations on initiatives to address the coronavirus pandemic. (PR)