Govt urges Filipinos to buy locally made PPEs

Amid the surge in domestically produced personal protective equipment (PPE), the Board of Investments (BOI) is urging organizations in the country to buy locally made medical products. BOI in a statement on Monday said Philippine manufacturers are now producing 60 million facemasks every month, compared to only 6 million in January — an increase of 900 percent — with the expectation that this will rise to 66.4 million before 2020 is over. It added that 3.2 million medical grade coveralls are now being domestically produced each month, where previously none had been. Philippine companies now manufacture 6,050 ventilators per month, whereas before all ventilators were imported. BOI said 60,000 infrared hermometers, which are used to screen people for high temperature, are also being produced in the country.