SM Builds Seven Emergency Quarantine Facilities in Metro Manila

The interior of one of the Camp Crame facilities, which like the rest features beds, airconditioning units, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, restrooms, shower areas, and nurse lounges

SM, through SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI), recently constructed seven (7) insulated emergency quarantine facilities (EQFs) in Pasay and Quezon City to house and treat patients affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Built by the SM Engineering Design and Development (SM EDD) team, and WTA Architecture and Design Studio, these include four facilities in Camp Crame and two facilities at the AFP Health Service Command – V. Luna in Quezon City; as well as one at the Air Force General Hospital – Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

 

Each bed in the Camp Crame EQFs has a built-in call system and patients will

have access to Wi-Fi connectivity



Completed within a span of six to ten days, these feature a total of 156 beds, air conditioning units, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, restrooms, shower areas, and nurse lounges. The EQFs are set to accommodate COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.

 

In the Camp Crame EQFs, each bed has a built-in call system and patients will have an access to Wi-Fi connectivity. PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa thanked SM Engineering Design and Development President Hans ‘Chico’ Sy Jr. and WTA Architecture and Designs for their contributions to the facility.

 

SM EDD and WTA Architecture and Design Studio built four facilities in Camp Crame in Quezon City



Apart from contributing to the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, this social initiative also served as a platform for volunteeriSM for SM employees, especially those from SM EDD.

 

Through the EQF project, SM EDD employees were able to volunteer their time and expertise in constructing the insulated EQFs, an initiative that has received encouragement and strong support from the President of SM EDD, Hans ‘Chico’ Sy Jr.

 

One of two EQF built at the AFP Health Service Command - V. Luna in Quezon City



SMFI’s Leadership Team expressed gratitude to SM EDD volunteers for carrying out its purpose and commitment to provide EQFs to its partners in the uniformed service.

“We have courageous employee volunteers from SM EDD, sharing their expertise and time amidst COVID-19. We’re proud to support their contribution during this time of incredible need.”

The EQF at the Air Force General Hospital at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City



SM Foundation also thanked its partners, the Air Force General Hospital, AFP Health Service Command and the WTA Architecture and Design Studio, as “saving lives is critical during this pandemic.”

 

The EQFs are set to accommodate COVID- 19 patients who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms



The building of insulated EQFs is one of SM’s initiatives in line with its commitment to be of service to the Filipino public, its hospitals, and government during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, SM, through SM Foundation donated over PHP170 million worth of personal protective equipment, testing kits, and intensive care unit (ICU-grade) ventilators to over 100 hospitals and medical institutions.

 

 



PLDT Enterprise provides Philippine Army COVID-19 Quarantine Sites with Free Connectivity.



 

As part of its continuous efforts to support the country's response to COVID-19, PLDT Enterprise deploys free connectivity support to the quarantine areas covered by the Philippine Army.

All quarantine areas manned by uniformed personnel in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila for COVID-19 patients now have business-grade fiber internet which leverages on PLDT Group's most expansive fiber optic network in the country. The COVID-19 quarantine areas include Philippine Army Wellness Center, Gate 5 Barracks, SOQ TRADOC Building, and Libingan ng mga Bayani.

"We at PLDT Enterprise extend support to the Philippine Army in order to strengthen their capabilities in responding to the battle against COVID-19. This service enables health professionals deployed at COVID-19 treatment facilities to be informed of the latest information and stay connected to their families." ~Jovy I. Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups

The fiber-grade connectivity will allow the army personnel to remain informed of the latest news about the coronavirus, and likewise will enable COVID-19 patients in the quarantine areas to keep in touch with their loved ones.

The initiative is just one of PLDT’s endeavors to enable uniformed personnel with connectivity support. The group’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications recently provided 540 smartphones loaded with voice, SMS and data packages for the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel at lockdown checkpoints.

"We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for the services the PLDT Group has extended to the Philippine Army in line with our efforts to address the threats of COVID-19. We salute you for not hesitating to provide the services to the Philippine Army. We hope and pray that we can overcome this crisis at the soonest time possible." ~Mark Edwin B. Moro, Philippine Army Colonel (SC) MNSA PA

PLDT Enterprise also recently deployed free connectivity to other COVID-19 facilities in Luzon such as World Trade Center and Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay and Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About PLDT

PLDT is the leading telecommunications and digital services provider in the Philippines. Through its principal business groups – fixed line, wireless and others – PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone, and fixed line and cellular networks.

 

PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American Depositary Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI). PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine-­listed companies.

 

 

 



The SM Store is open for essential clothing order and delivery

 



 

In these trying times, we get by with just the essentials. And as we work together to help flatten the curve by staying at home, SM Men, SM Woman and SM Youth strive to bring you essentials straight to the comfort of your home—if you need it, and when you need it.

 

 



SM Youth, SM Men and SM Woman are ready to serve their customers by offering essential clothing needs such as underwear, sleepwear and loungewear, active wear for staying fit at home, and protective outdoor pieces like shirts, jackets and hoodies to equip individuals who have to leave home for very important errands.

 

 



Shop Essentials from Home may be done by visiting ShopSM.com or availing the Call to Deliver service by simply messaging the The SM Store branch of your choice (branch directory is attached), or messaging each brand on social media:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/smyouthlifestyle/, https://www.facebook.com/smmenlifestyle/, https://www.facebook.com/SMWoman/

 

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/smyouth, https://www.instagram.com/smmen/,

https://www.instagram.com/smwoman/

 



 

Select essential items from the attached product catalogue or by joining the Viber group Stay-At-Home Essentials through this link https://bit.ly/35jXbBd. Available products will be constantly uploaded and updated there.

 

 



State your order and expect a response or confirmation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pay via Cash-on-Delivery, credit/debit card or bank transfers. Please note that due to checkpoint restrictions, delivery time will differ.

 

 



For any questions or for more details, feel free to message each brand on their respective social media accounts stated above. For inquiries about pieces that are not included in the list or for product availability, call your nearest The SM Store and you will be happily assisted by branch representatives.

 

 



By shopping essentials from home, we can ensure the health and safety our ourselves and our loved ones.

 

 

 



Allianz Provides Financial, Mental Health Assistance to Its Employees



Allianz PNB Life adopts flexible "work-from-home" arrangements during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.

Allianz PNB Life has taken measures to ensure the health and overall well-being of its employees during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.

Allianz PNB Life Chief Marketing Officer Gae Martinez shared that these include the re-lease of their full month salaries for March and April, financial assistance for its intermedi-aries and full-time contractual workers, work-from-home arrangements, and mental health benefits.

“Even before the Insurance Commission (IC) issued guidelines for companies during the ECQ, Allianz already developed an immediate Human Resource guideline for assessment and action steps for specific scenarios to ensure the physical, mental, and financial well-being of our employees and intermediaries. We constantly remind our employees from all over the country to use their health card to avail of the tele-counseling services of our partner clinic, Child-fam Possibilities Psycho-social Services (CPPS), should they experience anxiety and other mental health problems during these challenging times. We offer guidance to our employees on how to work at the right pace while working from home and how they can practice self care during the pandemic.” ~Gae Martinez, Allianz PNB Life Chief Marketing Officer

Among them is the development of an enhanced framework in identifying persons under monitoring (PUMs), persons under investigation (PUIs), and COVID-19 positive patients to promote and strengthen the safety of its employees and office environment. As of current time, no Allianz PNB Life employee has contracted the virus.

In addition, Allianz’ employee assistance includes a mental health card, which it first is-sued as early as May 2019. With stress levels rising due to the situ-ation brought about by Covid-19, this benefit is added assistance to Allianz PNB Life employees.

Allianz also has an in-house registered guidance counselor who oversees the engagement and wellness initiatives of the company’s executives, employees, and consultants/vendors.

Through its Crisis Management Committee, Allianz also came out with reminders and bulletins for its employees and intermediaries. It also activated its work-from-home arrange-ment through the provision of facilities during the ECQ and released Maxicare memos and guidelines.

For those working from home, Allianz has an employee check-in that helps assess their current situation. This also serves as the basis of the company’s next steps for employees who have been experiencing anxiety and fatigue. It would also help in strengthening the company’s employee communications and engagement throughout the ECQ.

Allianz also offers several online learning programs for its employees that are geared to-ward resiliency and well-being. With many confined to their places of residence, the online learning tools also provide an added way to learn and understand new skills for further self-improvement.



About Allianz
The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 92 million retail and corporate customers. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insur-ance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 673 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers.

Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage more than 1.4 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business pro-cesses and investment decisions, we hold the leading position for insurers in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2018, over 142,000 employees in more than 80 countries achieved total revenues of 131 billion euros and an operating profit of 11.5 billion euros for the group
These assessments are, as always, subject to the disclaimer provided below.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
The statements contained herein may include prospects, statements of future expecta-tions and other forward-looking statements that are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such for-ward-looking statements.

Such deviations may arise due to, without limitation, (i) changes of the general eco-nomic conditions and competitive situation, particularly in the Allianz Group's core business and core markets, (ii) performance of financial markets (particularly market volatility, liquidity and credit events), (iii) frequency and severity of insured loss events, including from natural catastrophes, and the development of loss expenses, (iv) mortali-ty and morbidity levels and trends, (v) persistency levels, (vi) particularly in the banking business, the extent of credit defaults, (vii) interest rate levels, (viii) currency exchange rates including the EUR/USD  exchange rate, (ix) changes in laws and regulations, in-cluding tax regulations, (x) the impact of acquisitions, including related integration is-sues, and reorganization measures, and (xi) general competitive factors, in each case on a local, regional, national and/or global basis. Many of these factors may be more likely to occur, or more pronounced, as a result of terrorist activities and their conse-quences.

No duty to update
The company assumes no obligation to update any information or forward-looking statement contained herein, save for any information required to be disclosed by law.

Privacy Note
Allianz SE is committed to protecting your personal data. Find out more in our Privacy Statement.

 

 



Century Tuna - Frontliners for frontliners

Frontliners from CPFI, Shakey’s, Peri Peri, and Frontline Feeders Philippines deliver meal packs to healthcare frontliners from (top to bottom) Manila Doctors, Las Pinas General Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Clare’s Medical Center staff.

Frontliners from the country’s foremost food brands, together with an NGO that mobilizes food distribution to different hospitals in the Metro and neighboring cities, have come together to provide support and nourishment to those who have been similarly working the frontlines.

 

Employees from the Century Pacific Group, Shakey’s Pizza (Shakey’s), Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken (Peri-Peri), and Century Pacific Food (Century), together with Frontline Feeders Philippines (FFP) have joined forces to provide more than 100,000 meal packs to Filipino healthcare workers in over 90 hospitals and facilities in Metro Manila and nearby cities.

 



Frontliners from CPFI, Shakey’s, Peri Peri, and Frontline Feeders Philippines deliver meal packs to healthcare frontliners from (top to bottom) Manila Doctors, Las Pinas General Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Clare’s Medical Center staff.



Showing a great example of teamwork, each team member makes a significant contribution in this initiative. Century provides processed meats, manages the hospital list, and coordinates with the hospitals on a daily basis. FFP provides the network of hospitals and collects regular information on which hospitals need help the most. Finally, Shakey's and Peri Peri provide meat products, bake bread daily, and does the actual delivery.

 

Each snack is freshly made, filling, and nutritious. The selection includes freshly baked marinated beef buns, hotdog rolls, ham and cheese flatbreads, pepperoni and cheese flatbreads, as well as ham buns.

 



Frontliners from CPFI, Shakey’s, Peri Peri, and Frontline Feeders Philippines deliver meal packs to healthcare frontliners from (top to bottom) Manila Doctors, Las Pinas General Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Clare’s Medical Center staff.



The partnership also ensures the right amount of food is delivered at the right time to avoid food waste and spoilage. The meals are meant for merienda or snack, and are individually wrapped so that medical frontliners may eat them when they need a mid-shift gap fill to power them through. 

 

Since the program’s start last April 7, it has thus far provided100,000 meal packs to 90 hospitals and health facilities around Metro Manila, and there are plans to do more.

 



Frontliners from CPFI, Shakey’s, Peri Peri, and Frontline Feeders Philippines deliver meal packs to healthcare frontliners from (top to bottom) Manila Doctors, Las Pinas General Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, and St. Clare’s Medical Center staff.



“Century, Shakeys, Peri, and Frontline Feeders have come together - each with its own unique resources, capacity, and skills - to extend help in the best way we know how. It’s the least we can do to take care of the people who regularly put their lives at risk as they work bravely and tirelessly to save those infected by the virus. For the Century Pacific Group in particular, composed primarily of food businesses, nourishing our medical frontliners through freshly prepared food is another meaningful way to live out our mission and vision as a company.” ~Nikki Dizon, Century Pacific

Century Pacific Food is one of the largest branded food companies in the Philippines, behind household names Century Tuna, Argentina, 555, Birch Tree, and Swift. Shakey’s Pizza is both the Philippines’ largest pizza chain and leading full-service restaurant. Peri-Peri is an emerging fast casual brand in the Philippines known for its grilled chicken and a variety of sauces.

 



UCC, MOS and Other Japanese Restos Open for Pickup and Delivery

 

Select branches of UCC and CoCo Ichibanya, along with Mitsuyado Sei-men in Jupi-ter St., Tendon Kohaku in Burgos Park, and MOS Burger in Robinsons Galleria are now accepting orders for pickup and delivery.

 

Menu selections, however, will be limited so customers are advised to call the restau-rants about their available dishes prior to ordering their takeout or placing an order through Grab Pabili, Lalamove, and other third-party providers servicing their areas.

 

 





Metro Manila customers who have a craving for UCC drinks and dishes can call the following branches to inquire about the available menu items: UCC Cafe Terrace in One Rockwell through (02)8856-0477 and (02)8478-7513; UCC Clockwork in Xentro through (02)8243-9257; and UCC Clockwork Burgos Circle through (02)8828-1447. UCC Cafe Terrace and UCC Clockwork Burgos Circle are accepting orders from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, from Monday to Saturday only. UCC Clockwork in Xentro is open from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.

 

Those in Bacolod, meanwhile, can call UCC Clockwork in Lacson Avenue through (34) 431-2243 and +63 917 323 7588 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Saturday.

 

CoCo Ichibanya at One Rockwell and Kapitolyo Kitchen are also accepting orders through Foodpanda. You can call (02)8815-4087 to inquire about their available menu items.

 

Tsukemen cravings? Mitsuyado Sei-men offers ready-to-cook Yuzu Tsukemen and Ka-rashi Tsukemen kits as well as ready-to-eat Gyoza and Chicken Karaage. They are ac-cepting orders from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. You can either visit the store to order your takeout or place an order through Foodpanda, Grab Pabili, Joyride Pabili, and Mr. Speedy. For inquiries, call (02) 8511-1390.

 

Tendon Kohaku in Burgos Park will also be open for takeout and pickup only. It will service the Forbestown community from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Inquiries are welcome at (02) 7914-0433.

 

MOS Burger has likewise opened its Robinsons Galleria branch for takeout and pickup orders. You can either visit their store to place a takeout order or place your order via Foodpanda, Grabexpress Pabili, or Lalamove. For inquiries, you can contact MOS Burger at (02) 7747-2695. They are open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

 

All stores will strictly observe “no mask, no entry” and social distancing policies.

 

 



“TsuperHeroes,” provides free transportation for COVID-19 frontliners in humanitarian initiative!

Rhyan Hitalia (right) Clinic Nurse Director and Wound Specialist, The Medical City, Stoma and Complex Wound Care Clinic coordinator for the Jeepney Kings fleet servicing the Medica City-Taguig-Pateros route

“TsuperHeroes” a collective effort by newly established Jeepney Kings and Elmer Francisco provides free transportation for COVID-19 frontliners in humanitarian initiative.

 

People from all walks of life have been direly affected by the ongoing Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic—from business owners and corporate executives to construction workers and street vendors.

 

One particular sector, however, is in critical condition with the constraints and limitations posed by the ECQ—public transportation. The suspension of general public utility vehicle operations has left frontliners with limited or no access to daily transportation.

 

Jeepney Kings is a recently established modernized jeepney fleet operator backed by investment from local entrepreneurs Enrique Gonzalez and Rajan Uttamchandani, and Hong Kong-based financier Francis “Bing” Zhou.  When Elmer Francisco, CEO and Chairman of 1111 Empire, Inc., maker of Francisco Passenger Jeepneys, asked for assistance in helping small fleet operators and frontliners combat the COVID-19 crisis, the company immediately responded to his call to arms.

 

Jeepney Kings rolled-out 10 units of PUVs manned by 17 jeepney drivers called “TsuperHeroes” in a humanitarian transportation project called “Elmer’s Run,” named after Francisco. These TsuperHeroes take shifts of eight hours each for a 24-hour operation to provide free transportation for frontliners and health workers in coordination with some Local Government Units (LGUs). Eventually, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) followed suit and asked other manufacturers to help as well. DOTr issued permits from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for the vehicles and IDs for the TsuperHero drivers in order to provide 24-hour free transportation unhampered by government checkpoints. This effort would not only help small jeepney operators, drivers and assemblers so they would not lose their livelihood in the midst of the pandemic, but also to ferry health workers and frontliners for free to their medical facilities and workplaces.

 

Among the routes being serviced by Elmer’s Run are PGH Manila-Kalayaan Avenue Route, The Medical City Ortigas Route, Parañaque-Las Piñas Route, Caloocan-Quezon City Route, Taguig-Pateros Route, Luzon-wide relief operations of MRRD-NECC and also the Oplan Hatid of UP Los Baños in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense.

COVID-19 frontliners. Doctors and nurses of The Medical City



This endeavor also aims to provide temporary employment and livelihood to PUV operators and drivers who all of a sudden found themselves unemployed and unable to even buy food for their families during the lockdown. Francisco initially engaged the Baclaran-Nichols Transport Service Cooperative represented by its leader Reynaldo Liwag with the support of Izupart Caloocan and they immediately started operations.

 

Since there are no fare collections, the salaries of drivers and fuel expenses will come from Francisco’s own pocket and from the company’s coffers, but such is certainly not enough to support everyone in the initiative.

 

To boost the initiative, Francisco would seek the help of his fellow members of Rotary Club of Makati West, which coined the project “Elmer’s Run.” Nine other Rotary Clubs followed suit, namely: Rotary Club of Makati San Antonio, Rotary Club of Makati East, Rotary Club of Makati Ayala Triangle, Rotary e-Club of Global City, Rotary Club of Parañaque Metro, Rotary Club of Parañaque Merville, Rotary Club of Muntinlupa East, Rotary Club of Las Pinas and Rotary Club of Las Piñas Camino Real through the efforts of Rotary District 3870 Governor Ador Tolentino.

Aside from providing free transportation to frontliners and health workers, Jeepney King’s and Elmer Francisco also provided free food for health workers at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), which is the Department of Health’s primary COVID19 testing facility.

 

The team, through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Makati West, also provided 25 rooms in a nearby facility to house 50 RITM health workers so that they need not travel very far just to sleep and go back to work on the following day.

Jeepney Kings also distributed relief goods to ‘TsuperHeroes’ jeepney drivers who were suddenly unemployed. The team also helps the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and MRRD NECC to fast track their distribution of relief goods to those who need them most.

 

The project snowballed and attracted other supporters, such as Ray Jarina of Isuzu Inteco who provided one Isuzu Class 2 PUV to the fleet and helped organize the donation of face shields, disposable bedsheets, robot ventilators, robot alcohol dispenser and personal protective equipment (PPEs), which were distributed to various hospitals within and around Metro Manila.

 

The Jeepney Kings fleet and TsuperHero drivers have made these fast deliveries of essential items and free transportation services possible, especially for our modern-day heroes, our frontliners and health workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Other individuals and companies who are willing to support this endeavor are welcome to contact +639173011199 via Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram.