GCash's #FightCOVID19 raises P4.5M for 7 partners

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Experts all over the world believe that to mitigate the effects and end the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all sectors of the society must work hand in hand to fight the deadly virus.

It is not the sole responsibility of the government to stop the global pandemic, and it is imperative for people to join in the efforts and collectively stop the virus from further infecting anyone.

This rings true in the Philippines, where the Spirit of Bayanihan is slowly being revived amid the onslaught of natural and man-made catastrophes that struck the whole country during the first three months of 2020.

Various non-government organizations and even individuals have started calling on Filipinos to help in the war against the pandemic, whether it's through volunteerism or through monetary donations.

Donation drives have been launched by various groups to help protect frontline healthcare workers from the virus. These came amid the reported scarcity of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in hospitals.

Likewise, groups and individuals are seeking support to fund relief goods for the families that are in need of food and personal hygiene kits, as major cities and provinces impose their own community quarantine protocols.

For instance, friends Shary Laiz, Erika Jean Ente, and Alyana Singian are encouraging the Twitter universe to donate P20 to their mobile wallets to purchase hand sanitizers and soaps for the homeless. They are part of religious group Agape Christian Church International.

Quezon City-based professional alliance Save San Roque is seeking both donations in cash and in-kind to help the community of Sitio San Roque cope with the effects of the viral threat. The group aims to gather as many goods as they can to distribute to the citizens of the barangay.

People for Accountable Governance and Sustainable Action, a group of friends, also took to social media the call for donations for the purchase of a weekly “survival pack” communities in Tatalon, Talayan, Pinyahan, and Payatas as well as for the mothers in Tondo and Commonwealth. Each pack includes rice, canned goods, coffee, powdered milk, sugar, bread, and vegetables.

Youth-led movement Zero Hunger Philippines is also gathering monetary donations to provide food bags to over 10,000 families in select provinces in Luzon.

Tulong Kabataan, a youth movement, is also building up funds to supply food and hygiene kits to relocation sites and urban poor communities in Tacloban, Quezon City, and Manila.

Medical interns of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center have also launched their social-media-based donation drive for the staff of the hospital, which is in need of masks, caps, alcohol, gloves, and disposable gowns for frontline employees that are treating suspected COVID-19 cases.

Other non-profits such as Project Tanglaw, Caritas Manila, and Tayo Kabataan are pooling donations to provide food and hygiene kits to the less fortunate and those who are most hit by the threat of the virus, as well as donate PPEs to hospitals in need.

There are hundreds more donation drives that are happening across the Philippines today, signaling the strong revival of the Filipino culture of Bayanihan — only that with the strict implementation of community quarantines and social distancing protocols, donations are facilitated through mobile phones.

GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, has been seeing spikes in the number of money transfers from one mobile wallet, as people collectively fight COVID-19 through digital donation drives.

Caritas Manila, for instance, has so far collected almost P850,000 in individual donations through GCash.

“It’s heartwarming to see firsthand how the uniquely Filipino Spirit of Bayanihan works. Since day one, we have envisioned the GCash platform to be a channel of good, and now we are seeing individuals and organizations maximizing the GCash app to efficiently facilitate donations for noble causes. We hope that as we further develop our platform, we continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need,” GCash President Anthony Thomas said.

Mobile digital finance has made it easier for individuals to support causes, as they now have an avenue to practice their generosity through their mobile phones, anytime and anywhere.

GCash and its partners the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), World Vision, UP Medical Foundation, PGH Foundation, Inc., ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, and Ayala Foundation have their own digital donation drive, dubbed #FightCOVID19, which aims to help provide medical gears to hospital workers in the country.

To send their support, GCash users simply have to click on the “Pay Bills” icon on their GCash apps, choose the “Others” tab, and click on “FightCOVID19.” GCash users then have to enter their name and the amount that they are donating to confirm their donation.

So far, #FightCOVID19 has raised roughly P4.5 million in individual donations.

“While we encourage GCash users to support our fundraising, it is encouraging for us to see our mobile digital wallet being used by individuals and other organizations as a conduit of good, especially during trying times. We hope that as Filipinos digitally band together as a nation, we can quickly eradicate the virus and go back to normalcy,” Thomas said.

Gadget Health Check: Best Tips You Can Do To Keep Your Smartphone Sanitized, Make it a habit to sanitize the one thing you always have on hand

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There’s no better time than now to be extra careful in keeping your smartphone clean, especially since this is our everyday driver that we can rely on that ends up getting a lot of exposure. Make sure to do your part in staying safe!

According to a study published in February 2020 under the Journal of Hospital Infection, viruses such as the COVID-19 are capable of surviving up to nine days on smooth surfaces, and that includes a smartphone screen. 

“We touch our smartphones more than anything especially now that we try to stay connected to our loved ones who are away from us and keep updated on the latest news. But it can pose a health risk especially that dirt gets easily transferred into our phones. So, in light of the current COVID-19 situation, we strongly encourage our consumers to practice proper smartphone sanitation in order to protect themselves from contracting the virus,” says Zen Han, OPPO Philippines’ VP of National Sales.

Sanitation is key in keeping clean and safe, making it particularly relevant for Filipinos who are very active smartphone users. 

Aside from constantly washing your hands with soap and water as advised by the World Health Organization, make sure to practice these tips on properly and safely cleaning your phone, highly recommended by OPPO Philippines:

1. Wash or sanitize your hands. To avoid transferring any harmful bacteria, make sure to sanitize your hands before and after you clean your phone.

2. Ready a soft, lint-free or microfiber cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths such as towels and paper towels. Using such may damage the surface of your screen. 

3. Use 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. Isopropyl Alcohol is a highly effective disinfectant against viruses particularly the ones with 70% concentration. Anything beyond it may evaporate too quickly. When cleaning your phone with alcohol, make sure to use cotton balls or felt-tips swabs when cleaning harder to reach areas like ports and mics and to avoid liquid spilling on such parts that may cause damage to internal components. 

4. Use liquid hand soaps with alcohol content. If Isopropyl Alcohol is not readily available, you may use hand soaps with alcohol content. Add a few drops on the screen and gently wipe the whole phone with a microfiber cloth. Make sure to avoid getting moisture in any openings. Wipe off the soap with a damp microfiber cloth afterwards, and then dry your phone off with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

5. Avoid using harsh home cleaning products. Window and household cleaners with strong chemical components like ammonia or hydrogen peroxide may damage your smartphone screen.

6. Use UV light sanitation. UV-C light in particular, also used in hospital-grade disinfecting procedures serve as a potent solution that targets certain bacteria. UV devices can be used as well to sanitize your smartphone. 

These simple ways have been proven to significantly cut down the number of bacteria found on a smartphone’s surface, as demonstrated by Dr. Lena Ciric, a microbiologist from University College London in this study. 

Stay smart in making sure you’re doing your part in keeping safe, and always make it a habit to sanitize your phones! 

World Vision Shares Ways to Help Children in Dealing with Stress during the COVID-19 Outbreak

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Children around the world become vulnerable to risks posed by the current COVID-19 outbreak. Besides possibly contracting the virus, children may likely be affected by other harmful factors such as disrupted education, loss of income for parents due to the enhanced community quarantine, and other negative triggers to their emotional, social, and physical well-being which can result to great amount of stress for young people especially the school-aged kids.

“Children are not exempted to the effects of this pandemic especially those who are directly affected and currently living in the most vulnerable and poor conditions," says Rommel V. Fuerte, National Director of World Vision Philippines, a child-focused NGO. "As long as there is an avenue for us to help these children, we will not stop in ensuring that they are safe and healthy," added Fuerte.

Although there have been low cases of COVID-19 among children based on latest reports, we could not be complacent as children still become extremely vulnerable to the cascading impacts of this emergency.

In light of the glaring need to safeguard children from the lingering threat of COVID-19, World Vision suggests eleven (11) ways to help children cope with stress. 

• Help children find positive ways to express disturbing feelings. 

• Encourage a caring environment around them.

• Make opportunities for children to play and relax.

• Keep them close to their parents and family.

• Ensure regular and frequent contact (via phone and video calls) and reassurance. 

• Keep regular routines and schedules or help them create new ones.

• Educate them about the situation and give clear child friendly information.

• Demonstrate to children how they can keep themselves safe. Social distancing and sanitation practices like proper handwashing protects them from not only COVID-19, but also numerous diseases.

• Avoid spreading rumors and fake news. 

• Support activities for children during home isolation/ quarantine. 

• Manage your own emotions well and stay calm.

Meanwhile, World Vision calls the public, to pitch their part cooperating with the preventive measures and guidelines enforced by the Philippine government and supporting the collective health emergency efforts against COVID-19. 

With the growing number of cases nationwide, the number of health facilities and health workers in the country may not adequately accommodate the overwhelming number of patients admitted, thus the need for augmentation of facilities and proper protection equipment among the medical front liners, especially in the public hospitals. 

To help address this challenge, World Vision commits to support at least 100 health facilities with basic health facility disinfectant kits and provide medical front liners, including barangay health emergency response teams with personal protective equipment. 

World Vision also looks into providing families with sanitation kits that include bath soaps, alcohol, face masks, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

To know more on how to support frontliners, and the families not fully capable of protecting themselves from the COVID-19 outbreak, visit World Vision’s donation page at https://wvph.co/covid19. 

World Vision also calls on everyone to pray. Together, we can pray for wisdom, peace of mind, resilience and hope as we face this outbreak as one nation, one humanity.

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, their families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith and values, it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. It serves and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. 

Shell Philippines' Project Shelter for health and safety of people and to #FlattenTheCurve amidst Covid-19

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Amidst this pandemic situation in the world, we all must think of how can we help, with managing fear and allows us to do our part in helping to contain the spread of the virus.

It’s not just about for few, but about all of our fellow citizens.

As the spread of COVID-19 continues to affect everyone in the country, Shell puts top priority on the health and safety of our people, customers and the community, along with the safe operations of all our businesses. We continue to monitor the situation closely and respond to the needs of our kababayans.

For our people

The safety and well-being of our employees matter to us. As such, Shell has made 

available the following services to its employees:

- Flexible working arrangements

          - Financial assistance such as access to emergency loans

- 24x7 Tele-Medicine medical service to minimize staff exposure to hospitals and clinics. 

- Virtual counseling services  

- Temporary accommodation and transportation support needed for business continuity.

For our customers

Amidst the challenges, we strive to continue providing vital energy products to our 

customers and communities and have business continuity plans in place to sustain our operations. Malampaya continues to operate to provide 30% of Luzon’s power needs and our Shell stations will remain open to serve motorists and provide basic services.

For the community

Shell salutes the frontliners who have been tirelessly working to #FlattenTheCurve. To support the medical and government frontliners, Shell is extending help as follows:

- Donation of N95 face masks to the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital 

- Donation of Select Water to 7 Hospitals. 

- Through our Shell retailers, we are giving food packs, biscuits and water for medical workers, police force and military personnel and logistics drivers 

- Donation to the Municipality of Pasacao, Camarines Sur for the purchase of relief goods for indigent families 

- We are also a partner of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation in COVID-19 response.

Our own forecourt staff  are frontliners too, as they continue to serve the needs of our motorists.

To support our Shell forecourt staff, we are providing the following:

- Accommodation in our stations with transportation to and from work 

- Meals for staff while on duty 

- Face masks and alcohol for when they are on duty and when they travel to and from our stations. 

- Financial support for staff grounded by the enhanced community quarantine.

Shell donates N95 face masks to DoH. Shell Country Health Advisor Dra. Rose Rivera (3rd from right) leads Shell officials in turning over 3,000 pieces of N95 face masks to Department of Health (DoH) Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje. Also in photo are (left to right) Shell Country Occupational Health Nurse Patrick Jeremillos and DoH Director Gloria Balboa, Assistant Secretary (Asec.) Kenneth Ronquillo, Usecs Gerry Bayugo and Rosette Vergeire and Asec. Nestor Santiago.

At dawn today (March 27) in NAIA, Ops Mgr Monette Soriao sends off
her incoming crew to the shore platform

Disinfection of Shell Select Stores

Providing assistance to our frontliners at Shell Select stores

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow advice from public health authorities to help ensure the well-being of our employees, customers and local communities.

Shopee launches Shopee Bayanihan, an initiative focused on providing support for medical front liners and Filipinos in need

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Shopee donates 2,800 KFN4 respiratory masks to the Philippine Lung Center to help medical front liners fight COVID-19

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, launches Shopee Bayanihan, an initiative focused on providing support for medical front liners and Filipinos in need. 

In a true bayanihan spirit, Shopee partners with various humanitarian organizations like Red Cross, Kaya Natin and World Vision to raise funds to support different communities most affected by COVID-19 outbreak. Among those in need are hospitals faced with limited medical equipment and low-income households who face difficulties in securing daily necessities. Under Shopee Bayanihan, users can make a direct donation to these organizations via Shopee from 26 March onwards. Additionally, Shopee donates 2,800 KFN4 respiratory masks to support the health workers in the Philippine Lung Center in their combat against the virus.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing of Shopee Philippines, said, “In the spirit of bayanihan, we need to come together and draw strength from one another as we tide through this COVID-19 outbreak as one community. We launched Shopee Bayanihan to provide Filipinos a platform to step forward and help those in need. The funds raised will channel much-needed resources to vulnerable individuals and families to help them cope with the situation. We urge everyone to stand together with us and help one another stay strong during this period.”

All Filipinos can make a donation to their partner organizations of choice in amounts of P50, P100, P500, and P1,000 via Shopee Bayanihan. 

Here’s how:

On March 31, users can tune in to Shopee Live to watch a special program on “Shopee Bayanihan Day”. During the program, popular local celebrities will put up a special performance to help raise funds under Shopee Bayanihan. Users can also find more information on what the partner organizations are doing to support the community. 

All proceeds made through Shopee Bayanihan will go straight to their partner organizations. For more information, please visit: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-bayanihan

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It was launched in 7 markets in 2015 to connect consumers, sellers, and businesses in the region.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.