Photo Release

Qualified local PPE manufacturers did not get any contract: Sen. Risa Hontiveros, during the continuation of the virtual hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on the 2020 Commission on Audit (COA) report on the utilization of the Department of Health (DOH) budget, particularly on its expenditures for the Covid-19 program, says that despite passing the Department of Health’s (DOH) standards and being recognized by government agencies, as early as September 2020, local manufacturers under the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP) were capable of producing 10,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per day, but did not get any supply contracts from the government. “Local manufacturers were puzzled why despite securing the necessary permit from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they did not get any contract from the government, unlike Pharmally which, based on our previous hearing, does not have a permit to import from FDA but was not contested by former Budget Usec. Lloyd Christopher Lao,” Hontiveros said. (Screen Grab/Senate PRIB)