The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) today announced the establishment of a P100 million fund to help fight the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The fund earmarked by GBF is over and above the ongoing initiatives that the various companies under the Gokongwei Group, one of the largest and highly diversified conglomerates in the country, are spearheading on their own.

In announcing its initiative, the philanthropic arm of the Gokongwei Group said that the P100 million fund will be used to support two key beneficiaries: national and local frontline health providers currently serving in various hospitals to combat the dreaded disease and the local communities where the conglomerate’s businesses operate.

As an immediate step, GBF will provide urgently needed personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, for health care front liners, as well as rapid test kits. The U.P. Medical Foundation, Inc. and PGH Medical Foundation, Inc. are among the select institutions in GBF’s priority list.

Alongside GBF’s efforts, the various companies of the Gokongwei Group have also stepped up their efforts to render assistance to its various stakeholders.

From its food manufacturing arm URC, the company is donating its food products that are basic necessities such as Great Taste coffee, Magic Crackers, Nissin Cup Noodles, Refresh Mineral Water and Vitasoy drinks which they intend to distribute to health workers in different hospitals now at the frontlines of the battle versus the deadly virus.

Its real estate property arm Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) is providing support for the purchase of test kits for various hospitals in the NCR. RLC will also be waiving rental charges for all non-operational tenants of its various malls for the period during which the mall is closed because of the community quarantine. Through the rent condonation RLC aims to assist their tenant establishments reallocate funds and allow them to extend financial assistance to their employees for this emergency.

Robinsons Bank has announced that it is providing payment extension to its customers for various loan products.

Its retail affiliate Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., through its various formats, namely Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, Ministop, and South Star Drugs and TGP, has been operating to continuously serve the needs of Filipinos consumers on a limited time period in compliance with the community quarantine in place.

Since the COVID-19 situation escalated, CebPac has been enabling thousands of passengers, who have flights until April 30, the opportunity to rebook their flight anytime until June 30 or place the cost of the ticket in a travel fund to be used for future travel.

Photo Credit: www.jgsummit.com.ph

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