MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 7 April) – With medical personal protective equipment (PPE) becoming scarce in the battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), high school batchmates of the Bukidnon State University, through their group chat, have decided to do something about the issue.
Frontliners in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) receive their improvised hazmat suits from high school alumni of the Bukidnon State University. Dr. Dennis Sangalang, of Class ’90 and City Health Officer, thanks his high school pals. Contributed photo
Members of Class ’90 of BSU-Secondary School Laboratory designed and donated improvised hazmat suits for frontliners.
Batch artisan Archie Talose brought the idea of customizing the suit. Then the ideas kept on flowing.
Edelina Tandayag-Gallo sought her connections in Cebu for designs, while Barbara Flores-Opida also sent designs from Manila.
Retired soft drinks executive Cesar Saavedra and Gallo facilitated the fund raising.
Do-it-all Luz Fresnoza sourced out the materials and looked for dressmakers.
Reynard Hernandez, an administrative officer at the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center, and nurse Marichu Lanayan provided the sense of urgency by sharing the PPE supply situation.
The medical doctors in the class, Brenda Taga-Catalon and Rinaflor Sahagun-Lavinia, chipped in their ideas, plugging the seams in the design to keep the virus away.
Dr. Dennis Sangalang, a batchmate who is now City Health Officer, is busy calling the shots as head of the local Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19 emergency response.
The result is beautiful as it is life-saving. The batch’s MDs, nurses and other frontliners are proud and of course thankful.
Finally, when the work was done, broadcaster Ninfa Bago-Caballero launched it in her program at BukSu Educational and Community FM.
The customized overalls is made of microfiber and taffeta.
The batch plans to produce more if raw materials are available.
The virus is a tough nut to crack. It is just fitting the frontliners be provided safe, comfortable tailor-fit designer hazmat suits. (BenCyrus Ellorin, for MindaNews)
[The writer is a member of BSC SSL Batch ’90.]
