Paying it forward to frontliners and those in need

Now is the perfect opportunity to pay it forward and help in different ways - from sending donations for PPEs to providing food and other supplies. Here's a list of groups and organizations you can reach out to.

7 min read

The government’s announcement to extend our current ways of living just means our fight against contagion is far from over in the Philippines. Frontliners -- doctors, nurses, medical staff, pharmacists, grocery staff, delivery boys, police, and many others -- still need help beyond what the government can provide. They are the people who risk exposure daily just so our lives will function a tad normally in this ‘new normal’.

Many avenues have opened so help can reach those in need much easier. Here, we make a list of organizations, institutions, and groups who will take care of distributing donations that are given to them by private citizens. From plasma donations to help severely-ill patients, to food packs for frontliners, there’s always a way to be of help.

Donation for Blood Plasma

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC), are calling on patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their blood plasma. Plasma from recovered patients contains antibodies that can neutralize the virus and improve the condition of those who are severely ill.
Donors should be able to meet the following criteria:

Positive swab test of COVID-19 (RTPCR)
Subsequent swab(s) yielding a negative result
Must be asymptomatic for 2 weeks.
One positive swab, but if no additional swab is taken, he/she should be at least 28 days asymptomatic

PGH
Please call 09178053207 or this PGH number: 155-200

SLMC Quezon City
Contact 8-723-0301 ext. 4725

SLMC Global City
Contact 8-789-7700 ext. 2096

Click on these PGH and SLMC links for more information.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other protective gear

Did you know that medical staff on an eight to 12-hour shift skip food, drinks, and bladder breaks to save on PPE’s? The suit is a closed system where eating, drinking, or going to the bathroom would mean breaking this system. If that happens, the PPEs become useless and ineffective as protection. PPE’s are used only once and are disposed of after thus there will always be a need for it together with masks, goggles, surgical caps, and disinfectants.

PGH

Direct your donations to the coordinator through Trunkline (02) 8-554-8400 loc. 2004 Mobile: (0919) 350 6917

Lawyers for Doctors

Lawyers for Doctors is a team of lawyers, law students, and volunteers who have taken the initiative to pool, organize, and direct resources for the benefit of medical and healthcare workers in the front line of the battle. Their expertise applies to issues of logistics, Customs permits, clearances, and all the paperwork that comes with procurement.

Reach out to them at donations@lawyersfordoctors.org or send them a personal message on their FB and Messenger @LawyersforDoctorsPhilippines

Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc

Like nurses and doctors, medical technologists are in need of face masks, PPEs, and sanitizers. For donations or queries, people may contact the PAMET Secretariat at (02) 8817-1487 and 09178901118.

Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines Inc.

The Foundation is accepting in-kind and cash to provide PPEs to health responders and preventive care kits to the general public. They welcome the following in-kind donations: face masks, disinfectants, vitamin C, disposable surgical gowns, surgical caps, shoe cover, nitrile gloves, and goggles or face shields.

You may send cash donations to:

BPI with account name: Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines Inc.
Account Number: 3001-0040-33

Or through here.

Food and personal care kits

Flowerstore.ph and Give Care

Flowerstore.ph and Give Care Initiative have partnered to deliver pre-packaged donations for our current-day heroes. The package includes men’s and women’s care pack, food, and protective gear that those in the medical frontline can benefit from. Donors just have to click on a pack they wish to sponsor, pay, and specify to which individual, group, hospital, or organization they wish to have it delivered to.

Flowerstore.ph will take care of delivering the package to the recipients at zero profit.

Visit here to sponsor a pack.

FoodTray2Go

FoodTray2Go provides meals for frontliners around Metro Manila. Those who would like to donate may send a message on their Instagram page @FOODTRAY2GO or through Viber at 09177026395.

Frontline Feeders Philippines

Frontliners Feeders Philippines distributes meals throughout the day for the frontliners in hospitals. Restaurants, kitchen, or commissary are also welcome to donate food. Individuals may donate here or email at havecoffee@commune.ph.

They are also accepting donations such as personal protective equipment, especially face masks. These may be sent to Commune, 36 Polaris Street, Poblacion, Makati City.

Bicycles

LifeCyclesPH
LifeCyclesPH has been able to help doctors, nurses, and grocery and drugstore employees get to work. Donate cash (one bike costs Php5,000) or extra bikes that will be delivered to frontliners. Contact them through the details below for donations or message them on their Facebook page if you’d like to help in other ways:

Credit Card / GrabPay / GCash
https://donation.ph/lifecyclesph

Lazada
https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/life-cycles-ph/

Reference

About The Writer

Dahl Marie Bennett

Dahl Marie D. Bennett is a full-time freelancer and regularly contributes to Smart Parenting, abs-cbn.com, and PAL’s inflight magazine, Mabuhay. Before this, she worked as a media and communications specialist for Miriam College. She continues to do consultancy work and special projects for the school. Being a freelancer gave Dahl the time to pursue her passion for yoga, specifically of the Ashtanga tradition. In 2019, she got certified as an Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga teacher after completing 200 hours of training under seasoned yoga teacher, Jovan Nikolic. She is also a mom to Dylan, her 17-year-old daughter who will be off to college soon and for whom she will terribly miss making baon for.

The views and opinions expressed by the writer are his/her own, and does not state or reflect those of Wyeth Nutrition and its principals.