Metrobank contributed additional 50,000 meals to provide sustenance for the average-earners and poorest of poor

Cabinet Secretary and Task Force Zero Hunger (TFZH) chairman Karlo Nograles led the turnover of 1,000 meals to Municipality of Guiguinto, Bulacan Mayor Ambrosio “Boy Cruz and Vice Mayor Eliseo Santos. Joining them are representatives from the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. and McDonald’s Philippines. 

 

Metrobank, through its corporate social responsibility arm Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), joins the Task Force Zero Hunger’s Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG), aimed at ending massive hunger by 2030. Sustaining previous donations made to provide food for underprivileged families most affected by the pandemic, Metrobank contributed additional 50,000 meals to provide sustenance for the average-earners and poorest of poor. 

 

An amount of more than PhP 2.5 million was coursed through Ronald McDonald’s House Charities (RMHC) Philippines for its McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen (MKK) program. The donation completes the target to provide over 100,000 meals to 50 cities and municipalities in the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, VI, VIII, XI, and XII, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. 

  

To date, Metrobank, together with PKG and MKK has turned over almost 105,000 meals since November 2020. The distribution of meals will continue this month in Davao City, Tacloban and Palo, Leyte, and Antipolo, Rizal. 

 

Led by Cabinet Secretary and Task Force Zero Hunger Chairman Karlo Nograles, PKG aims to address the problems on hunger and food security in the country especially during these times of crisis. A multi-sectoral movement, PKG is also committed to respond to the needs of communities during calamities and disasters through an efficient, systematic, and resilient relief operations. With the support of partner private institutions and non-government organizations, PKG shall ensure the availability and accessibility of food supplies, distribution of adequate nutrition to beneficiaries, and prompt assistance during crisis. 

 

Photos above show the distribution of meals to the Municipalities of Mexico, Sta. Ana, and Arayat Pampanga; Municipalities of San Pedro and Biñan, Laguna; and Malabon City. 

 

As one of PKG’s founding private sector members, MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña said, “We in the Metrobank Group seek to carry on our mission to uplift the lives of underprivileged Filipinos, especially now as our nation faces a long-drawn pandemic. Along with our partners from RMHC Philippines and Task Force Zero Hunger, we have made it our target to feed over 100,000 individuals in 50 cities and municipalities nationwide. Indeed, challenging times call for acts for solidarity and compassion. We are in the middle of a difficult period that demands kind thoughts and caring actions in equal measure.”

 

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Metrobank has been in the front lines in feeding poor families in the country. An amount of PhP 2 million was first donated to RMHC during the height of the enhanced community quarantine in March 2020. While another PhP 2 million was turned over during Metrobank’s Anniversary Grants Turnover in September last year. Through these donations, 80,000 meals were provided to individuals living in NCR as well as in Cebu and Davao provinces. 

METROBANK AND MANILA HEALTHTEK INK PARTNERSHIP TO DISTRIBUTE UP-DEVELOPED COVID-19 PCR KITS

Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, through Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), donated PhP 5.6 million to Manila HealthTek, Inc., a private research and development company, for the distribution of UP-developed COVID-19 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) detection kits. A total of 3,800 kits will be donated to the UP National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH), Maria Reyna-Xavier University Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, and Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) in San Fernando City, La Union. 

A virtual ceremonial signing of the Deed of Donation with Manila HealthTek, Inc. and beneficiary institutions was held on July 9 through the presence of HealthTek CEO Dr. Raul Destura, UP-NIH executive director and 2019 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipino Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-de La Paz, Xavier University president Fr. Roberto Yap, Maria Reyna-Xavier University Hospital OIC Director Sr. Evelyn Aguilar, and ITRMC Molecular Biology Laboratory section head Dr. Jimmy Rosales. It was Dr. Destura who led the team from UP-NIH and the Philippine Genome Center in the development of these low-cost kits.

“We have been working hard in supporting various initiatives to address and combat the effects of the pandemic since the start of the lockdown. Given the need for a gold standard in testing, we are privileged to support the very first Philippine developed testing kits for COVID19,” said MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepena. “We commend and admire the works of our local experts led by Dr. Destura and his team, together with the UP-NIH in the development, testing and production of these kits,” he added. 

The donation is part of over a PhP220 million contribution by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings Group to fund and support efforts to combat the pandemic and help those in need. The amount was allocated for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to benefit healthcare and security frontliners; “Project Ugnayan” led by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation; distribution of meals and food packs to underprivileged families; construction and equipping of molecular laboratories for the testing of cases in partnership with the Department of Health, Philippine Red Cross, and Ayala Group; and Go Negosyo’s Project ARK (Antibody Rapid test Kits) of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship Foundation. Just recently, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation donated 30 units of Toyota Vios to DOH for the mobility of healthcare frontliners and local government hospitals. 

METROBANK-SUPPORTED MOLECULAR LABORATORY FOR COVID-19 TESTING INAUGURATED: LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY

On June 27, the country inaugurated its largest molecular laboratory capable of detecting COVID-19 and other contagious diseases at the former Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Headquarters in Port Area Manila. Through the initiatives of the Philippine Red Cross, the project was partly funded by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings through a PhP 18 million donation, coursed through its corporate social responsibility arm Metrobank Foundation (MBFI) and Ty family’s GT Foundation (GTFI). 

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Senator Richard Gordon hand a plaque to GT Foundation president and Federal Land chairperson Alfred Ty (center) and Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobreña (left) to recognize the Php18 million donation of Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings to construct and equip the country’s largest molecular laboratory at the former PRC Headquarters in Port Area Manila on June 27.

The donation went for the construction and equipping the facility with two automated extraction machines for testing of samples. With additional contributions from the Australian Embassy and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), the laboratory has an overall capacity to test 14,000 samples a day.

The ceremonies were led by PRC chairman Senator Richard Gordon, Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Inter-Agency Task Force Deputy Implementer Undersecretary Vivencio Dizon, Australian Ambassador Steven Robinson AO, GTFI president and Federal Land chairman Alfred Ty, MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña and FFCCCII president Henry Bon Liong. 

“We have been working hard in supporting various initiatives to address and combat the effects of the pandemic since the start of the lockdown. We advocate and support the conduct of “Test, Trace, and Treat” or T3 in order to identify the various factors in the development and mitigation of the spread of virus which could lead in flattening the curve," said Mr. Ty.

The laboratory will also go a long way in ensuring early detection and efficient treatment of other contagious and deadly diseases such as cancer, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, dengue, malaria, tuberculosis, Zika virus among others. 

The donation was part of the P220 million contribution by Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings to fund and support efforts to combat the pandemic and help those in need. 

The amount was allocated for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to benefit healthcare and security frontliners; support for the production of RT-PRC testing kits through the UP National Institutes of Health; “Project Ugnayan” led by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation; distribution of meals and food packs to underprivileged families; construction and equipping of molecular laboratories for the testing of cases in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Red Cross, and Ayala Group; and Go Negosyo’s Project ARK (Antibody Rapid test Kits) of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship Foundation. Just recently, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation donated 30 VIOS units for the mobility of healthcare frontliners of DOH and local government hospitals.

METROBANK AND GT CAPITAL HOLDINGS SUPPORT MCDONALD’S KINDNESS KITCHEN

Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings Inc., through the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), donated P2 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines in support of its ‘McDo Kindness Kitchen’ program aimed at providing free meals to 40,000 individuals in Metro Manila. 

McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen, a program supported by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, distributes meals to 750 individuals in Barangay 790 in San Andres, City of Manila on April 18, 2020.

The first wave of distribution that ran from April 15-20 catered 9,000 individuals from the cities of Manila, Quezon, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Navotas and the municipality of Pateros. Each location was allocated with 3,000 meals to be strategically distributed to marginalized barangays recommended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The program will continue to provide meals from April 21 to May 16.

The donation is part of the P200 million pledge by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings Group in support of the efforts to combat COVID-19.