NGCP tech partner turns over masks to Red Cross
By Jordeene B. Lagare – May 12, 2020
from The Manila Times
THE State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), the technical partner of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), donated 500,000 surgical masks to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to aid in efforts against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
On May 8, the SGCC Philippine team, along with its partners at NGCP, turned over 500,000 surgical face masks shipped from Chinese manufacturers to the PRC national headquarters.
“The PRC will be distributing these PPEs (personal protective equipment) to its front liners, including blood and rapid testing facilities staff, ambulance crew, hotline volunteers and other staff in the health services sectors to combat the spread of Covid-19,” NGCP said in a statement.
The boxes containing the donated masks bore the old Filipino saying, “Ang tunay na kaibigan, hindi nag-iiwanan (Real friends never leave you),” a message that shows the friendship between the Chinese and the Filipino people, it added.
“On behalf of the Philippine Red Cross, I would like to thank SGCC for this timely donation. These masks will be given to facilities which are in need of PPEs and will also be used by our PRC frontliners especially now that we have our own Covid-19 testing centers,” PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla said.
In a statement, NGCP said SGCC made the pledge through State Grid International Development Co. Ltd., a shareholder of the NGCP since 2008.
“During these challenging times, it is important that friends (China and Philippines) fight together to stop the spread Covid-19,” SGCC Philippine Office Chief Representative Shan Shewu said.
SGCC is the largest public utility firm in the world with operations in countries such as Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Greece and Oman. Their first investment outside China was in the Philippines through NGCP in 2008.
Earlier, the country’s grid operator pledged P1 billion of which P500 million was allotted for purchasing medical equipment and another P500 million worth of grocery items.
NGCP said the distribution of grocery items and medical equipment in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao are ongoing.
“NGCP will continue to look for opportunities to support the government in battling this pandemic. We recognize that the only way to defeat this global health threat is through our collective efforts,” NGCP President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Almeda said.
NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr.
