By DANIEL P. TAPAOAN, JR.

Aside from helping the community in fighting COVID-19, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) also provides daily food packs and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to its skeleton workforce who render selfless service amid the crisis. 

The skeleton workforce of the university includes the staff of the National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC), security guards, utility workers, and other personnel assigned by heads of units and colleges.

Ms. Lenie Bayangos, director of the university’s business directorate, said the university is serving lunch packs to more than 100 skeleton staff since March 23. Additionally, NBERIC staff who are in-charge of the daily alcohol production and members of the security also receive snacks and dinner for their extended work. 

She assured that the food being served to the skeleton workforce are "healthy, enriching, delicious and safe."

Ms. Bayangos revealed that as of today (April 21), a total of 2,061 food packs were already served to the workforce, amounting to more than PhP 300,000. She added that a total of Php 1,000,000 was allotted for this purpose.

Aside from providing food ration, the university also gives face masks (paper and cloth) and laboratory gowns to the MMSU frontliners. These are being produced by the College of Industrial Technology, with Prof. Elia Ubaldo being the project leader of the Garments Production. 

The university’s business directorate has also started to open the MMSU Hostel and Mansion to accommodate health care workers of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH-MC). These facilities are also open to the visitors from the Department of Health and World Health Organization.

“We will make sure that our selfless workers are being taken care of amid this pandemic,” said MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis.

These initiatives are part of the MMSU’s "Saranay Against COVID-19”, a multi-faceted program that responds to emerging needs of the community during the pandemic. (StratCom)