MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (PIA)–The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has donated one million pesos (P1M) to the provincial government of Bukidnon as additional fund for the expenses of Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC) in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
PCSO Bukidnon Branch Manager Mario Pelisco, said in an interview that based on the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with BPMC, the amount will serve as calamity assistance to the province in suppressing the coronavirus as the country has declared under state of public health emergency.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Republic Act 11469 or the “Bayanihan We Heal As One” Act, which mandates government-owned and controlled corporations to assist in finding funds to assist government in its battle against COVID-19,” Pelisco said.
In compliance with President Duterte’s directive, the PCSO through its board of directors, passed Resolution No. 0100-A approving the grant of calamity assistance from the PCSO’s Charity Fund to help hospitals, he added.
Bukidnon governor Jose Maria Zubiri, likewise, said that COVID-19 is eating up the province’s coffers as he spends hundreds of millions of pesos to finance the deadly coronavirus fight.
“The province spent P700 million to help our poor residents, but that was not enough. Thus, we reopened selected business industries while adopting the guidelines set by the IATF for “low-risk areas” in order to generate some revenues and yield on investments. This PCSO fund will help finance some of the BPMC’s equipment needs as we combat COVID-19,” the governor said.
Dr. Sulpicio Henry Legaspi, BPMC hospital chief, meanwhile, explained that the PCSO COVID-19 cash grant will be used to purchase testing kits, reagents, medical diagnostic equipment, personal protective equipment, diagnostic routes and confinement, laboratory procedures, and medicines for COVID-19 victims. (RLRB/PIA10)
