Last Updated On May 2020
Helping the country overcome the challenges of the new normal
The rapid outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Philippines affected Filipinos nationwide. It forced the government to put Metro Manila, and later on the whole island of Luzon and highly urbanized cities in the country, in an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to try and combat the spread of the disease.
Due to the ECQ, most businesses had to put its operations on hold in accordance with the government-mandated guidelines. This left the majority of the Filipino people with no work and no source of income; leaving their family famished during the majority of the ECH period.
The health sector has been greatly affected by the high volume of COVID-19 cases as well. During the initial phase of the spread, shortage of facial masks, personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing kits were becoming a challenge as they tried to battle the virus and conduct more testings.
Our corporate social responsibility has been of our highest priority. Over the years, we have been working with several non-profit organizations to help boost the Philippine economy by Fueling the Dreams of the Filipinos wherever they may be.
Now more than ever is the time for us to get more involved. By partnering with NGOs, we are able to give hope to those who need it most: displaced workers, famished families and frontline workers.
With the help of Chummy Chum Foundation, an NGO that has been providing probono child health care programs, charity visits to terminally ill children and incubators to hospitals throughout the country, we were able to provide the most basic sustenance, rice, to families and feed 500,000 Filipinos nationwide through the Kain Tayo at Pakainin Natin Sila program.
The program is the first Farm-to-Family donation drive that sources its rice from farmers and delivers them to as many families as possible. Other companies are joining the cause by partnering with Chummy Chum or by purchasing available packages through Lazada. You can be part of the movement, too, by going to bit.ly/donate-kaintayo.
Another endeavor that we are part of, along with more than 100 other companies, is Go Negosyo’s Project ARK (Antibody RapidTest Kit), a private sector-led initiative that aims to make massive testing possible through the use of Antibody Rapid test Kits.
With the goal of developing a clearer understanding of the real extent of the disease, Project Ark is conducting mass screenings of barangay, employees, frontliners who are symptomatic and asymptomatic. Generating more than 800,000 test kits, these will be used by private sectors and businesses to screen their employees before allowing them to safely return to work.
Providing the necessary resources for our healthcare workers is paramount in ensuring the safety of our doctors, nurses and medical staff. With the help of the Indian community in the Philippines, we were able to donate 12 million pesos worth of KN95 and surgical masks to various hospitals across the country and, with Go Negosyo and the First District Representative of Iloilo, Hon. Janette Garin, 2 PCR machines have been set up to help aid the fight against COVID-19.
In partnership with The Distillery, one of the top bar/lounge/gastropub in Taguig that provides great food and imported draft beers, we have helped fill the tummies of more than 10,000 healthcare and frontline workers in Metro Manila.
At the core of our business are the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - entrepreneurs who have the vision to take their business to greater heights. COVID-19 has disrupted most, if not all, businesses in the country; most of which are still in operations with a skeletal workforce in place while some are closed entirely.
With limited cash inflow, managing expenses like utility bills, overhead, rent, is more challenging than ever before.
To ensure business continuity, we remain committed to the market we serve - the SMEs - by making our fast, hassle-free non-collateral business loan accessible wherever they may be. Business owners can apply online and submit all documentary requirements via email at the comfort and safety of their homes.
If you are a business owner and looking for additional working capital to boost your business, you may visit our website www.esquire.com.ph and see how we can help you.
