The UP College of Medicine Class 2025 is among the youngest members of the UP-PGH community but all the same, we are in solidarity in answering the call for help in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. It was on March 14 that we opened our channels for monetary donations from the general public in order to purchase PPEs. The primary aim of the class was to alleviate the difficulties experienced in the procurement of supplies during that time, considering the recent community quarantine announcement and the panic-buying behavior of the masses.  After more than a month, the donation drive officially ended last April 22 upon the delivery of the last PPE orders to PGH.

All in all, the class received  PHP 259, 296.31 which was used to purchase several supplies for our healthcare workers.  Our operations were conducted off-site, particularly through online and SMS transactions. Inevitably, there were limitations on the extent we can coordinate with the delivery and turnover of the supplies. Thus, we owe much of the donation drive’s success to the UP Manila University Student Council, UP Medicine Student Council and Liderato, UP-PGH COVID-19 Bayanihan Na! Operations Center, and the general public who largely supported this endeavor. 

Arlyn Jave Adlawon | Published in Healthscape Special COVID-19 Issue No. 7