By REYNALDO E. ANDRES

After fulfilling its commitment to provide alcohol rationing to Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Kalinga and Apayao, the Mariano Marcos State University on Thursday (April 9) turned its eye and extended its “Saranay” program to various government offices in La Union and Pangasinan to help front-liners cope with the COVID-19 crisis.

The university, through its National Bio-Energy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC) has provided an initial ration of 180 liters of 70 percent ethyl alcohol to 10 government agencies in La Union.

The product was received by the Region 1 Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) through the Philippine Navy on Thursday and was given to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Commission on Audit (COA), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Government Service Insurance System (GSS), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Pagibig.

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis said that aside from this volume, 20 liters were also sent to the local government of Asingan, Pangasinan and a separate samples for confirmatory analysis by the DOST 1.

“This is one way of extending our “Saranay Program” to our partner-agencies so that there would be enough supply of alcohol to their front-liners who are manning check points and those who compose the skeleton forces of their respective agencies,” Agrupis said.

As of this week, the MMSU-NBERIC’s NipaHol production and distribution activity in line with its “Saranay Against COVID-19,” program, has already produced more than 2,200 liters of alcohol, with a continuous production of 200 - 300 liters per week.

“We are happy because this is one way of responding to the low supply of alcohol in the market amid the COVID-19 crisis,” Agrupis said, noting that sinnce the start of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) the product eked its way to local government units, hospitals, churches, banks, and community checkpoints, among others.

“With this initiative, we hope to combat the spread of the virus and to help flatten the curve,” Agrupis added.

Meanwhile, the NipaHol is 70 percent ethyl alcohol formulated by the MMSU-NBERIC’s 95 percent alcohol, a product of the university’s more than 10-year research initiatives on bio-ethanol. (StratCom)