Disinfect to Protect: Lysol’s P36M funding to help Philippine Red Cross battle COVID-19

[Editor’s note: Disinfect to Protect hopes to strengthen the Philippines’ mass testing capacity, covering especially the most vulnerable and needy sectors. Below is their press release.]

MANILA, Philippines – Lysol Philippines has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for Disinfect to Protect, a joint mission to ensure everybody is protected from illnesses, by breaking the chain of infection. 

Through the endeavor, the disinfectant brand will donate P36 million to boost mass testing in support of government efforts, bring it to the most vulnerable groups, and encourage Filipinos to sanitize their surroundings to protect them from disease-causing germs.

Half of the donation will be used to build a COVID-19 mass testing center in Cagayan De Oro City. To be known as the Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory, the facility will have 2 polymerase chain reaction machines that can process 2,000 tests per day. 

Lysol’s contribution will also be earmarked for the laboratory’s operations and maintenance costs, including the hiring of personnel.

The other half of the donation — P18 million — will go to the COVID-19 Samaritan Fund to shoulder processing fees to test around 4,500 Filipinos from the most susceptible groups, including the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing health conditions, especially in poor communities.

Lysol will also turn over P5 million worth of its products to help disinfect PRC sample collection areas, as well as testing laboratories, to keep frontline healthcare workers and communities protected against the novel coronavirus.

To break the chain of COVID-19 infection in the household level, the brand is also encouraging Filipinos to practice proper handwashing, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting their surroundings — including frequently-touched surfaces at home and workplaces — with disinfectant sprays and multi-purpose cleaners.

“We feel humbled to be partnering with the Philippine Red Cross in their efforts to strengthen the country’s COVID-19 testing capacity and expand its coverage to needy sectors of society, as we keep the Philippines’ medical front-liners safe against an unseen enemy while creating awareness on the importance of hygiene and disinfection,” said Gonzalo Balcazar, RB General Manager for Southeast Asia, Hygiene. “More than ensuring households are protected from illness-causing germs, Lysol sees this partnership, and our ‘Disinfect to Protect’ mission as creating a bigger impact on various communities.”

“We welcome Lysol as our partner in helping control the spread of COVID19. They are a company who has invested most of their resources in studying pathogens and developing solutions that can kill these. They know what we are up against, and how we can stop the infection,” said Sen Gordon, Chairman of Philippine Red Cross.

To know more about the Disinfect to Protect mission, please visit the Lysol Facebook Page or Philippine Red Cross. – Rappler.com