The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other members of Task Group Face Mask (TG FM) have distributed almost a million masks to local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila as part of the implementation of “Libreng Mask Para sa Masa” project of the government.

A total of 1,218,790 face masks have already been turned over by the TG FM to the LGUs of Muntinlupa City, Pateros City, San Juan City, Navotas City, and Mandaluyong City for distribution to poor and vulnerable families in their localities.

The TG FM will continue to distribute face masks to the remaining LGUs in the National Capital Region, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Bulacan, and parts of Visayas and Mindanao.

The provision of face masks is part of the campaign of the administration to prioritize the safety of citizens during the pandemic. It aims to strengthen the government’s strategic plan on fighting COVID-19 by educating and engaging the public to follow the minimum public health standards and prevent or minimize the local spread of the virus in the country.

The project also intends to help poor families in the informal sector in high COVID-19 risk communities through the provision of non-medical grade, washable face masks, while at the same time, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises whose operations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Task Force was created after the Office of the President issued Memorandum Order 49 series of 2020, which directs all concerned government agencies to coordinate and pool their resources and efforts into the production and distribution of face masks. DSWD, as a member of the task group, leads the distribution of the face masks to LGUs based on the list of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiaries. ###