In the midst of all the hubbub, the private sector – especially its top executives – stepped up and found ways of helping our country’s frontliners and the communities heavily affected by COVID-19 and the quarantine. What started off as a promising year, 2020 has become the year we did not expect. Since the new year rang, we have lived in fear as news of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began to spread in other parts of the world. At home, it hit us in late January. By March, the national government implemented the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which has now been reduced to general community quarantine (GCQ). In the midst of all the hubbub, the private sector - especially its top executives - stepped up and found ways of helping our country’s frontliners and the communities heavily affected by COVID-19 and the quarantine. One of whom was Manny V. Pangilinan, or MVP as he is fondly called, chairman of the MVP Group of Companies. Stepping up and aiding those affected by the pandemic At the beginning of the ECQ, MVP and the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) were one of the first to respond to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for action against the disease. In a series of tweets, MVP shared how he and his companies will be helping, from providing medical supplies to ensuring that the health and safety of their employees are guaranteed. “Heeding the President’s call… for business ? large and small ? to rise to the challenge posed by COVID-19, the MVP Group is one with the President in coping with this virus,” he tweeted. “In particular, our hospitals group is doing its best to cope with the rising traffic of PUIs and those confirmed positive with the virus, by sending our frontliner health workers in needed areas, and importing face masks and (personal protective equipment (PPE).” “The group will be helping frontliners by donating an initial supply of alcohol of 4,000 liters from Roxas Holdings for government and hospitals… we will be raising more funds to help in the coming days,” he posted. Aside from the ethyl alcohol, the group also donated much-needed medical supplies such as face masks, and PPEs to medical frontliners. Apart from donating, the group of companies led by MVP committed to settle in advance almost P2 billion in taxes, to support the government’s fund raising efforts amid the coronavirus disease pandemic. It is through this example that other companies under MVP followed suit and conducted their own initiatives to help fellow Filipinos. Fully committed in supporting our frontliners The MVP Group donated thousands of grocery packs to families of health workers and hospital personnel, and to the families of soldiers manning the checkpoints. In April, the group sent the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vehicles to assist in their response against COVID-19, including 30 units of sedans and cargo vans, and 10 buses. MVP also extended help to health frontliners through Tulong Kapatid, the corporate social responsibility arm. “We are fully committed to supporting our frontliner health workers who are working tirelessly to save lives and to combat this pandemic. We will continue to pour in resources to address the needs and demands of our frontline workers, including PPEs and relief packages.” Apart from this, the MVP Group, in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) converted the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila and the Philippine Arena into mass quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients. The former could accommodate 112 patients, while the latter had a 300-bed capacity. Keeping Filipinos connected in uncertain times Telecommunication giants PLDT and Smart Communications also chipped in to the responses against the novel coronavirus disease. Smart provided free calls to emergency hotlines, free access to official websites containing vital information on COVID-19, free SIM cards and load to AFP frontliners, smartphones and load to medical personnel of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and free WiFi hotspots across the country. In addition, the company discounted electronic load for prepaid subscribers and offered a 30-day payment extension for postpaid subscribers.

In April, PLDT turned over 30 of its service vehicles to the AFP for its COVID-19 operations. The telecommunications company continued to provide connectivity to government agencies at the frontline of implementing the ECQ measures by installing free WiFi internet and free landline calls in some areas nationwide, including Batangas City, Lucena, Zamboanga and Davao. PLDT, in partnership with the PGH, launched a hotline service for its COVID-19 Bayanihan Operations Center, apart from the hotline Smart had with the Department of Health (DOH). Aside from providing internet and telecommunication services, PLDT and Smart through the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) donated relief packs, and turned over medical supplies such as reusable face masks and vitamins to the AFP, and hospital health workers. The MPIC and its subsidiaries each did remarkable efforts in the response against COVID-19. The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), MPIC’s tollway arm, donated food packs to 220 barangays within its expressway network such as the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Cavite Expressway, and Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CaLax). In addition, it waived toll fees for medical workers and emergencies during the stricter quarantine period. Meanwhile, Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) responded to helping the victims of fires in different locations — Happy Land in Tondo, Manila; Barangay Tonsuya in Malabon; and Barangay Addition Hills — by providing relief goods and sleeping kits containing mats and blankets. The organization also handed out medical supplies and equipment to numerous medical centers, including the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). It also donated PPEs, medicines and vitamins, and tabletop water filters to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Both companies provided medical equipment including anti-fog goggles and disposable surgical gowns to frontliners in several hospitals and health-care centers. In June, MPIC and its subsidiaries reached P350 million in donations for food, water, medicines, and PPEs, benefiting families across marginalized communities all over the country, especially those not covered by the government’s social amelioration package. It also launched and implemented livelihood projects to help support beneficiaries whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic, as well as relief programs for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, informal settlers and indigenous communities Continuing to shine the light Aside from ensuring that Filipinos had continuous supply of electricity during the quarantine, Meralco also contributed to MVP Group’s COVID-19 efforts. One Meralco Foundation (OMF), Meralco’s social development arm, distributed food packs and care packages to thousands of vulnerable families in major cities in and around Metro Manila. The foundation also launched an internal online campaign to provide marginalized families in Metro Manila with grocery gift certificates. The project raised more than P1.5 million and benefited at least 1,500 families. In addition, the organization donated thousands of medical equipment to frontline workers of private and public hospitals. These included PPEs, face masks, goggles, surgical gloves, and hundreds of face shields. Meralco also helped government agencies by sponsoring the disinfection and decontamination of various offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Rizal Medical Center. eSakay, a subsidiary of Meralco, partnered with the Pasig City LGU to shuttle health workers and employees of essential businesses to work. While many parts of the country are still under quarantine, including Metro Manila, the numerous companies under the MVP Group and its social responsibility arms continue to do its part in empowering Filipinos through this difficult chapter in our nation’s history. Their collective efforts and unified commitment are anchored by a core value that they all share — malasakit . Through malasakit , the group was able to reach out to various sectors and communities including the underprivileged and the vulnerable, while still upholding quality service to their customers and clients. “Rather than take exceptional steps, I prefer that we turn to the innate strengths of our group — to our fundamentals, to those principles that are proven and battle tested and basic — and to our people, the bedrock of our business.” “I hope that years from today, we can all look back at this experience and be proud of ourselves: for serving our customers who rely on us for our service; for serving our shareholders by keeping the businesses operating despite a difficult environment; for serving thousands of families, in and out of our companies, who depend on us for their future. You are bearers of torches that gave light to the dark corners of our country — not just mirrors passively reflecting the light of others,” MVP said in an Easter Sunday message to his employees in PLDT and Smart. MVP is the chairman of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. The MVP Group of Companies include the PLDT Company and Smart Communications Inc., Manila Electric Co., Maynilad Water Services Corp.,, Mediaquest Inc., Associated Broadcasting Corp., Philex Mining Corp., Philex Petroleum Corp., Manila North Tollways Corp., Landco Pacific Corp., Medical Doctors Inc., Colinas Verdes Hospital Managers Corp., Davao Doctors Inc., Riverside Medical Center Inc. in Bacolod, East Manila Hospital Managers Corp., Asian Hospital Inc., Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital in Tarlac, De Los Santos Medical Center, Metro Pacific Zamboanga Hospital Corp., and the Megaclinic Inc.. 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