The problem of face mask shortage will soon be eased as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) gets tasked to produce 50 million face masks for the public.
The agency’s deputy director general Aniceto Bertiz announced that the mass production of these reusable cloth face masks will take place within the next four months. Costing a maximum of P15 each but still meeting the required quality standards, the 50 million masks will be distributed to the public for free.
After production, it will be turned over to the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The face masks’ distribution will then be assigned to provincial, city and municipal government units.
According to Bertiz, the agency also plans to team up with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to look into getting the services of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) for the mass production of masks.
This is in line with TESDA’s own face mask production project introduced in March which doubles as a home-based livelihood support program for marginal families. The face masks are then given to returning overseas Filipino workers and COVID-19 frontliners including medical workers, police officers and volunteers.
TESDA is also encouraging the public to make their own face masks, which are now required to be worn in public. Through its official Facebook page, the agency offers a step-by-step guide on making reusable face masks. An instructional video from TESDA is also available on YouTube.
Header photo by Vera Davidova on Unsplash
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
