IN ORDER to continuously ensure the safety of health workers in Angeles City, the City Government distributed on June 23 reusable 1,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and 500 face masks to Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC) medical frontliners.
Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. said these reusable protective gears were produced through the Angeleño First Alternative Livelihood Program launched by the City Government amid the pandemic.
The project aims to give an alternative sustainable livelihood project, produce reusable PPEs and face masks for the campaign to preserve the environment, and provide the City Government its own protective equipment for the city's health workers, in lieu of purchasing.
"Instead na bumili pa tayo ng mga PPEs at face masks, napupunta na lamang yung pera sa pagpapasweldo sa inilunsad nating livelihood program para sa mga hinire nating mananahi na miyembro ng marginalized sector," Lazatin said.
“While helping members of the marginalized community, we also aim to safeguard our frontline workers in performing their duties. Alongside this is the aim to protect the environment, since the finished products will be reusable facemasks and PPEs,” Lazatin added.
RLMMC Chief of Hospital Dr. Froilan Canlas has recognized the efforts of the City Government in prioritizing the medical personnel and workers assigned at the Covid-19 wards, providing programs that will attend the safety and welfare of the city’s health workers.
“The leadership of Mayor Lazatin has been pushing programs and assistance to take care of the city’s health workers -- from free lodging to the salary raise of our nurses by P12,000 -- in the middle of the pandemic,” Canlas added.
"The PPEs are comfortable. Maganda ang materials po na ginamit, pulido ang pagkakatahi, at fashionable pa," he said.
Meanwhile, Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel said the City Government hired and paid 120 women for the livelihood project -- mostly solo parents, persons with disability (PWDs), stay-at-home parents, and women’s group -- to produce reusable 6,600 PPEs and 72,000 facemasks intended for the city’s health workers and indigent residents.
To date, 8,000 PPEs and 70,000 face masks have already been turned over to the Angeles City Economic Development Investment and Promotions Office (Acedipo) and Public Employment Services Office (Peso) by the "mananahis."
Lazatin’s Chief Adviser and Tactician IC Calaguas said that 17 Angeleño designers volunteered their time and skill to help the mananahis produce their face masks and PPEs, namely, Rich Sabinian, Rosette Biag, Danica Zita, Manny Ocampo, Stephen Victoriano, Jhune Angeles, Joey Feliciano, Bhry Adefuin, Jojo Macapinlac, Mich Viray, Carl Miranda, Cholo Ayuyao, Richard Hill, Rop Syquia, Philip Dizon Torres, Marlon Tuazon, and Frederick Policarpio.
“Maraming salamat po sa mga Angeleno designers na tumulong sa ating livelihood project, sa binigay nilang oras at pagbabahagi ng kanilang talento upang masiguradong maayos ang mga gagawing facemasks at PPEs na ipapamigay natin sa ating mga kababayan,” Calaguas said.
For her part, Acedipo officer-in-charge Irish Bonus-Llego reiterated that it is the primary aim of Lazatin to help Angeleños recover financially by providing livelihood programs like the making of facemasks.
“Layunin po ni mayor na matulungan ang mga kababayan natin na naapektuhan ang kabuhayan kahit nasa bahay lamang po sila, lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” Bonus-Llego said.
She said other livelihood programs currently being planned by the City Government include tinapa-making, basket weaving, eco-bag making, rice retailing, and atchara-making.
Last January 5, 2021, Lazatin inspected the turned over face masks and PPEs with Executive Assistant IV Manuel, Bonus-Llego, and Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Rudy Simeon.