President Rodrigo Duterte has directed six government agencies to allot funds for the production and free distribution of face masks to the public.
Under Memorandum Order No. 49 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on September 16, the President instructed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Presidential Management Staff.
The DTI will serve as the lead implementing agency with the help of the DOH in determining the “minimum, most cost-efficient, and good quality specifications” needed for effective COVID-19 protection.
“The DTI shall consolidate various Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise producers, cooperatives and community organizations relative to the production of the face masks,” the memorandum stated.
The said agency will support the TESDA in obtaining production networks and supplier market access for raw materials and output. The DBM will likewise provide assistance in the procurement process, according to the directive.
Other concerned government agencies and corporations have been urged to provide assistance on the implementation of the program on the earliest time possible. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
