As the Philippines enters its fourth week on Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and with the recent announcement of its extension until April 30, frontliners are racing against time to stop the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve.
Because mobility is important to frontliners as essential health workers, police and military personnel, as well as logistics operators, continue to brave the roads to reach their destinations. Since the beginning of the ECQ, Pilipinas Shell has leveraged its strong culture of health and safety to ensure that its operations continue to support national mobility. The company has also expanded its efforts to provide support for the frontliners as they work tirelessly to curb the impact of COVID-19.
Shell has been providing free fuel to ten partner district hospitals and three transport companies to aid in transporting frontliners, the mobilization of ambulances, and other ongoing relief efforts. Each district partner, along with the Bonifacio Global City Bus service, has been given Php 10,000 per week for the next two weeks. Moreover, bus services who have volunteered in the relief efforts such as Ube Express and Vallacar Transit’s Ceres buses have each been given Php 30,000 and Php 100,000 respectively, for the same period.
Shell’s Project Bayanihan has extended its discount offering of Php 3.00 for gasoline and Php 2.00 for diesel at 151 gas stations in Luzon and Visayas for all health workers, police and military personnel, and logistics drivers at the forefront of the COVID-19 efforts.
As a response to Filipinos’ increasing concern for proper nutrition amid the current circumstances, four of the company’s retail sites in Bacolod have begun offering free Vitamin C to all customers who gas up at Shell.
In Luzon, food packs containing 500ml water bottles and biscuits are available for any frontliner at all Select convenience stores located in Shell gas stations.
Various retailer partners have also stepped up to provide additional support by offering free coffee, facemasks, and snacks at their stations. Shell has also tapped partner establishments at certain stations to deliver free food to hospitals in Manila.
“The health and safety of our people, our customers, and the community are most important to us, and we continue to monitor the situation closely so we can respond to the needs of our kababayans,” said Pilipinas Shell’s CEO and Country Chairman Cesar Romero. “As everyone plays their part in this fight against this pandemic, patuloy ninyong kasama ang Shell sa bawat biyahe ng buhay.”
Shell’s initiatives at its retail stations are part of the company’s larger effort to help maintain the Philippines’ mobility, health and safety, and energy security. For 106 years, Shell has remained committed to being the country’s partner in nation-building, contributing its global expertise in today’s extraordinary circumstances so that the nation is ready to progress again tomorrow.