Chevron companies in the Philippines have teamed up to donate cash and fuels amounting to PHP 1 million to provide safe transportation and equipment to frontliners and health workers to help in the fight against COVID-19.
Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), marketer of the Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants, together with Chevron Holdings Inc. (CHI), donated PHP 500,000 to the Philippine General Hospital Medical Foundation Inc. (PGHMFI) to address the shortage in medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) that our frontline healthcare professionals need for proper patient management. PGH has been designated as one of the exclusive COVID-19 hospitals in Metro Manila and the Philippines largest public tertiary hospital.
Caltex has also teamed up with JAC Liner, one of the country’s largest bus companies, to provide fuel support amounting to PHP 250,000 to four shuttle buses servicing frontliners and health workers so that they can quickly and safely report for duty. The donation will cover the routes from Paranaque Integrated Terminal to Alabang and Ortigas to Shaw Boulevard until the first week of April.
Caltex Makati Credit Cooperative, run by Caltex employees, also donated PHP 25,000 to Kaya Natin! Foundation to aid its volunteers in ferrying hospital workers from various pickup and drop off points in Metro Manila. Kaya Natin! is a non-government organization that promotes good governance and ethical leadership. This employee donation drive is still ongoing.
Caltex has also partnered with ride-hailing platform Grab Philippines for its GrabBayanihan initiative with PHP 300 daily gas voucher provided to each Grab volunteer driver-partners. Dedicated GrabBayanihan Cars are free, 24-hour transport service for healthcare workers. Each car can transport two healthcare workers at a time, in accordance with the government’s strict social distancing guidelines.
“Caltex is one with the Philippine nation and our frontliners and health workers in battling this global pandemic. We are actively responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and while we continue to closely monitor our operating environment, we are also supporting PGH, JAC Liner, Kaya Natin! Foundation, and Grab Philippines in their mission to help curtail this virus. We hope this crisis will soon be over and that everyone stays safe,” said Louie Zhang, chairman, Chevron Philippines Inc.
Apart from the aid, Caltex stations in Luzon remain open amidst the enhance community quarantine. In addition to raising hygiene standards in the station, regular temperature checks, observance of 1-meter social distancing, and more frequent sanitation of areas with high human touchpoints are also implemented. Customers are encouraged to utilize contactless payment methods and are welcome to make use of the disinfectants or hand sanitizers located the cashiers.