CEBU-BASED pharmaceuticals company International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI) has assured the public that its production of essential sanitary products has now stabilized amid the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) easing of buying limits of alcohol and sanitizers.
Dennis Wong, vice president of IPI, said they managed to balance the livelihood of their employees while keeping a Covid-free workplace to supply the demand of consumers for pharmaceuticals and hygiene products.
“We are working in a new normal. We had to make sure that safety is paramount to our company so we organized a company-wide Covid committee. Test kits were purchased and we got healthcare consultants that were experts in this pandemic,” Wong said in an online forum hosted by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said they set up protocols within the company following experts’ advice so they could address the pandemic and prevent the spread of the virus.
Wong said during the lockdown period, they had challenges distributing their products to their 14 branches in the Philippines besides export.
“The shipment of goods was not that easy. Fortunately, the government eased up on essential products which our company is qualified, so it became easier,” he said.
Meanwhile, IPI also provided gallons of alcohol to hospitals, police checkpoints and other sectors as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The company also joined the e-commerce space as it embarked on selling its products through popular online shopping platforms Shopee and Lazada to gain a wider market reach.
Recently, the DTI released Memorandum Circular 20-54 as manufacturers and retailers assured the agency of sufficient production vis-a-vis a stable market demand, and to help the economy in bouncing back.
The DTI also said the recurrence of hoarding by businesses and panic buying by consumers of the subject products is remote as supplies are now enough. (JOB)