Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian took to social media to promote a new Pinoy-made surgical face mask on his social media pages.
The local chief executive shared a poster of Pinoy Mask, a locally-manufactured three-ply surgical face mask layered with melt-blown fabric that ensures the fibers are fine enough to catch particles as small as a virus.
The fabric, according to the manufacturer, is also “skin-friendly” and “anti-droplet” and the materials used “are certified by third-party agencies.” It also said that latest technologies in face mask manufacturing were used for its creation.
Gatchalian affirmed its local roots as he mentioned that it does its “logistics” in his city.
The product is available on Robinson Supermarkets.
Meanwhile, Filipinos were quick to support the face mask following Gatchalian’s post. They urged their fellow Pinoys to buy from local businesses and help the economy bounce back after it plunged into a recession last August.
“Let’s support local, everyone!” wrote a Twitter user who retweeted his post.
“Support locally-made products, hindi puro made in China, hopefully makagawa rin kayo ng face shield, locally-made din, para tayo naman kikita. God bless,” a Facebook user wrote in response to the manufacturer’s post.
“Bili na po tayo ng gawang lokal,” another Twitter user said with smiling and thumbs-up emojis.
There are also washable face masks that are available in the local market, some featuring local weaves handcrafted by Filipino artisans all over the country.
The government previously urged the public to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for the development of the local economy as unprecedented lockdown measures have resulted in “supply chain disruptions and a massive drop in demand,” according to the United Nations.
UN also recognized MSMEs as the “backbone of most economies worldwide,” saying that they play a key role in developing countries like the Philippines.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez also encouraged Filipinos to help small local businesses bounce back by supporting their locally-made products and help their fellow Pinoys sustain their livelihood.
The Department of Trade and Industry previously launched the “Buy Lokal, Go Lokal” campaign which aims to boost demand for Philippine-made products, particularly from small businesses, and help them recover from the economic effects of the pandemic.
“Tayo po ay dito muna sa ating bayan mag-shop local, eat local, and travel local,” Lopez said in a virtual press briefing before.
“Only with this support sa ating mga kababayan can we really reopen and restart our economy,” he added.