Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 31) – A leading sports retailer in the country donated on Tuesday snorkel masks to groups producing protective gears for frontliners and patients affected by COVID-19.
Toby’s Sports provided 100 sets of snorkel masks to a group composed of medical professionals, manufacturers, and engineers.
Another set of 50 snorkel masks will be given to a different private group who also wants to modify the masks for COVID-19 frontliners and patients.
The donated snorkel masks are manufactured in Taiwan and previously sold in Toby’s Sports outlets.
Jojo Claudio, president of Quorum International Inc. which is the mother company of Toby’s Sports, said these private groups approached him for the availability of snorkel masks that they will modify into a protective mask.
“Initially our understanding, it is on loan to them and the prototype model becomes a working model approved by medical experts and it is not to be sold to any government agency or private hospital. It will be treated as a donation,” told Claudio.
The first 100 donated units by Toby’s Sports, if already modified and developed, will be distributed by the private group to the police officers manning the quarantine checkpoints.
Claudio explained that unlike the typical cotton mask which needs to be replaced at least twice a day, the new ones can be easily cleaned with soap and water.
“The two groups have adopted the same concept used in Italy and other European countries as temporary respirator to patients having difficulty in breathing. We are using a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach in developing the gadget,” he added.
The other private group is focused on developing the snorkel masks into respiratory gears for patients infected with COVID-19.
Claudio hopes their donation will go a long way in terms of helping solve the COVID-19 crisis in the country, especially those who are suffering from the disease.
“Our primary goal is to help save lives to COVID patient who may need an emergency relief. Hopefully we can make it work,” he said.
The country now grapples with 2,084 confirmed COVID-19 cases, along with 88 deaths and 49 recoveries.
CNN Philippines’ Crissy Dimatulac and David Tristan Yumol contributed to this report.
