CLARK FREEPORT – The Pampanga Press Club (PPC) recognized its “partners” – individuals and organizations that have shown able leadership at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – during its 73rd anniversary on November 24, 2022 held at the Royce Hotel in this Freeport.
With the theme “PPC: Pampanga’s Partner in Recovery”, the event highlighted how PPC’s partners helped save lives and reduced risks among people including those of PPC members during the pandemic.
Among those honored were Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda and Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, who both implemented various initiatives during the health crisis including the Balik Pampanga program that helped returning overseas Filipino workers, as well as setting up quarantine facilities and treatment centers in the provincial and district hospitals, free antigen testing and vaccination roll-outs, and free medicines.
Mabalacat Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr., meanwhile, both went out of their way as local chief executives and did not waiver in the fight and management of COVID cases in their cities, including those at Clark Freeport. They continued to provide services to the people, risking their health, especially during the height of the lockdown periods.
It can be recalled that the NLEX Corp. stopped collecting toll fees at the height of pandemic – a noble act for the Corporation whose main source of income was to collect tolls. This ensured that the delivery of essentials like food and medicines, as well as frontline workers, were able to reach their destinations and thus perform their critical jobs.
The Clark Development Corporation, in collaboration with the various locators in the Freeport, took a united stand to “Care as One” and extended a helping hand to the most vulnerable sectors of society by providing PPEs, accommodating locally stranded individuals, and converting Clark buildings into COVID-19 facilities, among others.
Porac-based Mekeni Food Corp. was one of the very few companies, which, instead of laying off workers, even hired some more in order to be able to produce food products for delivery to home-based workers and people who were confined to their residences. It also conceptualized and developed its Bayani line of products to help stem the tide for those who were selling products from home when Covid-19 struck.
Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital Medical Chief Dr. Monserrat Chichioco and Pampanga COVID-19 Response Team Dr. Dax Tidula both represent the medical frontliners who risked their lives to save lives of COVID-19 patients.
During the height of the pandemic, ROMAC Group chairman and CEO Rene Romero spearheaded the call among the PamCham member-companies to extend subsidies to their employees and implement full vaccination. ROMAC employees were the first to complete herd immunity in its industry covering about 3,000 employees.
“This occasion is also our way of saying thank you and recognize our partners, especially our awardees who led the fight and campaign to keep us all safe, we in media included. Tonight, is a celebration of triumph. Tonight, we give due recognition to our government leaders and friends in the business sector. They themselves had also fallen victim to the pandemic. And yet, they did not falter. On the one hand, they showed strength. They continued to serve, to lead, to take charge and rallied people to recovery,” PPC president Noel Tulabut said.
According to Tulabut, the PPC thanks the awardees for their interventions that eased the hardships of the people under their care, and for being the lead frontliners who risked their own lives to save the lives of COVID-19 patients.
“We are thankful for the unwavering support of the awardees to our members during the height of the pandemic. Without hesitation, they extended a helping hand during a very difficult time and helped bring relief to the PPC and its members, helping us perform our jobs as media practitioners,” Tulabut said.
