Published May 5, 2021, 3:20 PM
Opposition Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday reiterated his proposal to use local PPEs (personal protective equipment) and other coronavirus disease (C0VID-19) -related needs for the country’s overall economic recovery.
“Pagkakataon ang krisis. Crisis is opportunity. Makaka-recover tayo economically, magkakaroon ng trabaho ang marami kung gagamitin natin ang gawa ng sarili nating mga kababayan (We can recover economically, there will be jobs for many workers if we use locally-made products),” Pangilinan said in reaction to reports that 3,500 workers of local PPE manufacturers have been laid off due to lack of demand.
Pangilinan is the author of Senate Bill 1759, or the Pandemic Protection Act.
Pangilinan to govt: Buy Pinoy-made PPEs, save local jobs, grow economy
SENATOR Francis Kiko Pangilinan reiterates his proposal to use local PPEs (personal protective equipment) and other Covid-related needs for the country s overall economic recovery. Pagkakataon ang krisis. Crisis is opportunity. Makaka-recover tayo economically, magkakaroon ng trabaho ang marami kung gagamitin natin ang gawa ng sarili nating mga kababayan, Pangilinan said in reaction to news that 3,500 workers of local PPE manufacturers have been laid off due to lack of demand. May pangangailangan para sa PPEs at kayang tugunan ng lokal na industriya. Sinabi na natin yan noong una pa, na gamitin natin ang sariling atin para makabangon ulit ang ating ekonomiya, said the author of Senate Bill 1759 or the Pandemic Protection Act.
Published April 30, 2021, 9:30 AM
The government was able to buy only P660 million worth of medical grade personal protective equipment (PPEs) from local manufacturers, which are still suffering from excess capacity due to poor local demand as government procurement policy favors the cheapest price being offered by importers.
Maritess Jocson Agoncillo, executive editor of Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), said that members of the Confederation of Philippine Manufacturers of PPEs (CPMP) were able to supply the government for the period November-December last year. CONWEP is the parent organization of CPMP.
“Because we were able to only join the government procurement process around end 2020 (Nov/Dec) period, from this only two members out of 5 generated contracts worth around P660 million. Apple to apple analysis, one of our repurposed firm on face mask was not able to ‘qualify’ or generate contract during the December/Nov bidding,” said
(MANILA BULLETIN File Photo)
“Nakakatawa ‘no, tayo magsusupply sa labas tapos ‘yong sariling atin hindi natin ma-supply (It’s funny, that we are supplying other countries when we cannot even supply for our own people),” Senator Nancy Binay said in dismay after garments exporters disclosed the plan on Wednesday, April 28.
During the hearing of the Senate economic affairs committee, Coalition of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP) Executive Director Rosette Carrillo reiterated the group’s lament last year about the lack of demand from the government.
“The way the government purchases PPE, it is subject to certain standards, rules for purchasing, so we were subjected to the lowest cost, and unfortunately, at the same time, the Philippine market was flooded with very low-cost PPEs from China, some of them are even substandard,” Carrillo told the senators.
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