Through the mobilization of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Shared Service Facility (SSF) program, the Guimaras State University (GSU) has stepped in to address the deficiency of face masks in the market for the use of medical frontliners and volunteers in the island province of Guimaras.

Utilizing the SSF, the GSU aims to produce 25,000 face masks for donation to the five municipalities in the island-province, including the school staff and students, and volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross.

DTI, through the initiative of the DTI-Regional Operations Group spearheaded by Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona, in coordination with DTI-Guimaras, determined GSU as the cooperator of the SSF on Garments, Wearable, Homestyle and Apparel Technology.

The GSU is embarking on P480,000 capital investment for the initiative. The face masks will be distributed to the local government units (LGUs) of Jordan, Buenavista, Sibunag, San Lorenzo and Nueva Valencia.

Presently, the facility has fabricated 7,000 face masks. It has also produced 15 head caps, masks and suits to the medical frontliners of the Guimaras Provincial Hospital.

DTI-VI Regional Director Rebecca Rascon lauded the initiative of the academe especially on the utilization of the SSF. “The academe has fully utilized the facility to benefit the community in helping address the shortage of protective masks for frontline health workers, military personnel in the checkpoints and the people in the different communities,” she said.

With a production capacity of 1,000 face masks per day, the academe also intends to provide face masks to all government agencies, churches and other frontliners, among others.

To date, the Province of Guimaras has not recorded any case of COVID-19. ♦

Date of Release: 8 April 2020