The Philippines is set to produce 10,000 sets of personal protective equipment daily after the Holy Week, an official said on Monday.

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Department of Trade and Industry has announced that member-companies of the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (Conwep) would start the local production of medical-grade PPE coveralls for healthcare workers.

Prior to the spread of coronavirus disease, the Philippines was not a local producer of medical-grade PPE.

To remedy this, Nograles said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez through the Board of Investments linked the private and health sectors in developing the medical-grade prototype that could be used even in high COVID-risk hospital situations, such as operating rooms, COVID-19 positive wards, and intensive care units.

Under the partnership, he noted the member-companies of Conwep refitted the design prototype of the PPE coveralls.

After several tests by the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital, Conwep refitted the design prototypes until they were approved.

"Raw materials for these will be shipped in by this week and the roll out of production at the garment factories will immediately start after the Holy Week. Once operational, these factories will be able to produce 10,000 PPEs a day," the official said.

Currently, the government is relying from donations by other countries and private individuals for the supply of face masks, COVID-19 testing kits, and PPE in the hospitals. Celerina Monte/DMS