Category: News

Healthway Medical will expand its network to over 100 Family, Multi-Specialty, and Corporate Clinics, to become the largest network of clinics in the country. In line with this expansion, Healthway unveiled its new brand on September 16, 2020 at its Healthway Multi-Specialty Center in Market! Market!.

As the integrated clinic arm of Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc (AC Health), Healthway aims to offer a broader set of quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare services, covering primary to multi-specialty care. These services will be delivered across three distinct clinic formats: Healthway Family Clinics for community-based primary care, Healthway Multi-Specialty Centers for mall-based specialty services and diagnostics, and Healthway Corporate Clinics for corporate clients. Healthway will soon have a network of 70 Healthway Family Clinics, 7 Healthway Multi-Specialty Centers, and 45 Healthway Corporate Clinics, located across the Greater Metro Manila Area.

“We are excited to integrate our clinic network under the Healthway brand. For over 20 years, the Healthway name has become synonymous to quality healthcare and has been well-regarded by patients and medical professionals. Our clinics play such a vital role in our ecosystem, serving as the first point of care for many of our patients, especially in this pandemic. With this expansion, we can truly be wherever our patients need us,” AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo said.

Healthway Family Clinic, formerly FamilyDOC, will continue to be a 3-in-1 community-based primary clinic, offering consultation, diagnostics, and pharmacy services. Healthway Multi-Specialty Center, formerly Healthway Medical, will complement these primary care services with its comprehensive range of outpatient services including specialty consults, imaging, laboratory, specialized diagnostics, ambulatory surgical services, dental services, and physical therapy. To date, the entire clinic network has served nearly 3 million patients.

“Expanding Healthway has pushed us to create more synergies amidst this new normal. We have innovated our service offerings, bringing consults, testing, and medicines direct to patients’ homes. Even as we have ramped up our COVID services, we know our patients will still need other healthcare services, and we’ve worked hard to ensure our clinics are a safe place for them to get the care they need,” Healthway President and CEO Paul Darroca said.

To improve access to care during this health crisis, Healthway has proactively responded by offering COVID-19 RT-PCR testing, home healthcare services, drive-thru lab testing, and outpatient chemotherapy infusion. To promote preventive care, the clinic network has also offered vaccination programs and medicine delivery.

Healthway has also taken the necessary measure to keep clinics safe and clean. In each location, patients are required to wear masks and face shields at all times and proper patient triaging is enforced. Physical distancing and terminal disinfection are also implemented to give patients a safe and reliable space for their healthcare needs. Since March, nearly 250,000 in-clinic assessments have been conducted by the Healthway network.

Makati, Philippines – September 14, 2020 Ayala Corporation (Ayala) received five major honors for its COVID-19 initiatives at the recently concluded 2020 International Business Awards® (IBA), also known as the Stevie® Awards. Out of 3,800 nominations from companies across 63 nations and territories, Ayala won one Gold for its Project Ugnayan website, two Silvers for its “Most Valuable Employer” and “Most Valuable Corporate Response” entries, and two Bronzes for its “Tapat” and “Nandiyan Ka” corporate videos. The IBA is recognized as the world’s premier business awards program which honors the achievements and positive contributions of companies and working professionals worldwide.

Quenching the hunger for hope

Ayala’s “Project Ugnayan” website took home a Gold Stevie® for its chronicling of an unprecedented private sector initiative led by Ayala to combat widespread hunger at the onset of the pandemic. Featuring photographs by renowned photographer Xyza Bacani, the website illustrates how cooperation (“ugnayan”), instead of competition, can cultivate hope even during these uncertain times.

When the rigid Enhanced Community Quarantine was first implemented in Luzon, Ayala formed the Project Ugnayan consortium with 270 of the country’s largest private companies to quickly raise PHP 1.7 billion in just a few days. The project then enlisted Caritas Manila and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to distribute PHP 1,000 grocery vouchers to 1.7 million families or 7 million individuals in poor communities in the Greater Manila Area.  With additional contributions from ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program, food aid reached 2.8 million families, or over 14 million individuals.

View the website at www.projectugnayan.org.

Looking out for communities

Ayala’s two entries under the COVID-19 Responses Categories, entitled “Ayala Group of Companies Supercharged Response to COVID-19” and “Ayala Group Puts Employees First”, both earned Silver Stevies®. The entries detailed the group’s many COVID-19 initiatives and programs to support its employees, its customers, and the broader community to date.

The Ayala group so far has allocated over PHP 9.6 billion in COVID-19-related initiatives, including the conversion of the 9,700 square meters of the World Trade Center into a 502-bed quarantine facility; the construction and capacitation of seven biosafety level two laboratories across the country to support the government’s Task Force T3 in increasing the national testing capacity; and the donation of swabbing booths in all four mega swabbing centers located in Palacio de Maynila, Enderun College in Taguig, the Philippine Arena in Bulacan and the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

For details on these various projects, visit www.ayala.com.ph.

Connecting with stakeholders and employees

Ayala also won two Bronze Stevies® for its “Tapat” and “Nandiyan Ka’ corporate videos.“Tapat”, a video love letter to the Filipino people, was released at Ayala’s first online Annual Stockholders’ Meeting last April 24, 2020, to assure its many stakeholders in simple and heartfelt language that Ayala remains steadfast in serving its countrymen’s needs in these challenging times.

“Nandiyan Ka”, on the other hand, was a tribute to the Ayala Group’s 18,000 essential workers featuring an original composition by Philippine National Artist Maestro Ryan Cayabyab. A music video was released online to give thanks and recognition to these workers across the Ayala’s various businesses, for their unfailing commitment during this global crisis.

The videos can be viewed at bit.ly/AyalaTapat and bit.ly/AyalaNandiyanKa.

“Ayala is deeply humbled by this acknowledgement from the International Business Awards®. In this time of COVID-19, our group has renewed its commitment to stand by the Filipino, and support its employees, stakeholders, and communities, as well as the government in defeating the virus that has deeply disrupted our country in many ways. Together, in the spirit of collaboration and nationhood, I believe that we can reshape our nation so that we can all emerge from this crisis as a stronger, more resilient Philippines that can venture as one into a Better Normal,” said John Philip S. Orbeta, Ayala Corporation Chief Human Resource Officer and Group Head of Corporate Resources.

Ayala Land, Inc., Ayala Malls, and Globe Telecom also bagged their own Stevies® at the 17th annual International Business Awards®.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Makati, Philippines – August 17, 2020 Heeding the call of medical frontliners, the Ayala group’s electronics manufacturing, healthcare, and telecom arms have come up with new innovations to bolster the country’s health system as it combats the pandemic.

These innovations include an FDA-approved, lower-cost breathing aid device from Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) for COVID-19 patients; and an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom and AC Health that will help decongest healthcare facilities.

“Healthcare is one of the many sectors that has been disrupted by this global crisis. However, I believe that many of the problems caused by COVID-19 can be addressed by technological innovations. The Ayala Group is determined to meet this challenge by leveraging the talents of our own engineers and medical experts, and by pioneering digital solutions. We are committed to invest in healthcare to contribute to the nation’s fight against COVID-19,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corporation President & COO and AC Health Chairman.

Ventilation system to be produced in the Philippines – a FIRST

On August 4, 2020, Ayala’s electronics manufacturing unit, IMI, secured FDA approval to locally produce the UCL Ventura Flow Generator, a lower-cost, non-invasive ventilation system specifically designed to aid COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties. Based on an existing off-patent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system, the design has been modified to optimize oxygen consumption. It is designed to reduce the spread of aerosols, helping keep healthcare workers safe from infection. The UCL Ventura Flow Generator is an alternative and preventative system used to avoid the need for an intubated ventilator treatment.

Earlier this year, IMI collaborated with its UK-based subsidiary, Surface Technology Int’l, Ltd. (STI, Ltd.), to bring this technology to the Philippines. IMI engineers then consulted the Filipino medical community, including AC Health’s experts, for the local application of the UCL Ventura Flow Generator. Licensed by the University College of London to IMI for the Philippines, and now FDA certified, IMI is set to produce the UCL Ventura Flow Generator in its Laguna facility, and will make these units available at a competitive price.

The device is a collaboration between University College London Hospital and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and was approved by UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Healthcare just a tap away

The Ayala Group has also released HealthNow, an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom’s corporate incubator, 917 Ventures, and AC Health’s health tech arm, Vigos Health, to help address the pain points that have long discouraged Filipinos from seeking proper medical care.

Prior to the pandemic, 68% of Filipinos stated that long waiting periods, high cost of medical bills, and limited availability of healthcare providers were the major deterrents that prevented them from seeking professional medical attention. There is also a shortage of doctors in the Philippines, with a ratio of one doctor to 33,000 Filipinos—a far cry from the global ideal of one doctor for every 1,000 individuals.

The HealthNow app offers users convenient access to primary healthcare services from the safety of their homes, and provides a safe channel for doctors to extend their patient care online. HealthNow currently allows patients to consult licensed physicians through video calls, and by September and October 2020 respectively, users will be able to have medicines delivered, and book clinic and lab appointments through the app.

HealthNow leverages several of the Ayala Group’s highly trusted and credible brands to deliver online aid to more Filipinos. The app’s video consultations, for example, are supported by a growing pool of doctors from KonsultaMD, FamilyDOC, and Healthway, as well as other third-party licensed physicians. Meanwhile, medicine delivery will be handled by Generika Drugstore, and payments can be made through GCash.

The app was released in Google Play on August 10, 2020, and will be available soon in the App Store.

IMI’s FDA-approved UCL Ventura Flow Generator is a lower-cost, non-invasive ventilation system specifically designed to aid COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties. It is the first ventilation system to be produced in the Philippines.

The HealthNow app from Globe and AC Health provides patients convenient access to healthcare services from their homes, and offers licensed physicians a safe channel to extend their medical services online. Currently, users are able to “Consult Later” with a doctor. The app will allow them to order medicines and book appointments in the coming months. It is available in Google Play and will be released in the App Store soon.

Makati, Philippines – August 5, 2020 Ayala Corporation Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala believes that the private and public sectors should continue working together with “Speed, Scale, and Stamina” to help the country overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared his views yesterday in a private online session with the Makati Business Club, entitled “Leading in Extraordinary Times”.

The Ayala Group has been cooperating with other private sector groups and government since the onset of the pandemic to respond to the needs of the Filipino people with urgency, while scaling its initiatives through strategic partnerships. It is also recalibrating its many businesses to endure this global crisis and thrive in the “New Normal”.

“We need [Speed, Scale, and Stamina] because the enemy we face, similarly, has all of these attributes. The pandemic has been unprecedented in speed and scale; and shows little signs of surrendering. In fact, I propose that we supercharge our response — to be faster, broader, and more enduring; to push the virus back, defeat it and reset to a better normal,” Zobel said. “We cannot remain paralyzed by fear; but must remain vigilant in caution. Thus, we should adapt our organizations to assure our stakeholders that they will be protected in a world where COVID-19 continues to exist.”

Responding to urgent needs with Speed

Back in March, shortly before the enforcement of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the Ayala Group’s immediate priority was to give peace of mind to its employees, stakeholders, and ecosystem of business partners, and extended community. Zobel wanted to ensure that everyone across the group felt secure both financially and physically.

On March 17, 2020, Zobel and Ayala Corporation President & COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala released a joint statement announcing an emergency response package worth P2.4 billion to help the group’s employees and extended workforce cope with the disruptions brought about by the pandemic. This amount has since increased given the numerous company- and employee-driven initiatives conducted across the group.

The group also adopted a structured work-from-home arrangement to keep majority of its 56,000 employees safe. This remote work setup helped employees adapt faster to digitization with online tools and learning platforms provided by the group to keep them productive and engaged.

Scaling COVID initiatives through partnerships

One of the more positive outcomes from this pandemic, Zobel observed, is the unprecedented level of collaboration within the private sector, and between the private sector and government, to execute relief activities with a much wider reach.

One example of a successful collaboration among private entities is Project Ugnayan, a food relief program for the most vulnerable urban poor communities, whose livelihoods were greatly impacted by the pandemic. To help address the needs of millions of these Filipinos in a timely and extended manner, the Ayala group partnered with 270 private companies to quickly raise PHP 1.7 billion. This consortium, through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Caritas Manila, distributed PHP 1,000 vouchers to 1.7 million families, or more than 7 million individuals in the Greater Manila Area. With additional contributions from ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program, food aid reached 2.8 million families, or over 14 million individuals. This helped government buy time while it mobilized resources to execute its own relief initiatives.

Cooperation between the private sector and government has also tightened during this pandemic. The Ayala Group, together with other private companies, has been collaborating closely with government to ramp up crucial testing and treatment capacity. The group participated in Task Force T3, an initiative by the IATF’s National Task Force and the Department of Health, to increase the country’s national testing capacity by 13 times from just 4,500 on April 24 to 60,000 on July 12. Ayala then joined Aboitiz, ABS-CBN, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, the Razon Group through Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, and the Yuchengco Group, to build seven Biosafety Level 2 laboratories to boost COVID-19 testing throughout the country.

Furthermore, Ayala, along with Aboitiz, Vista Land, the SM Group, the Razon Group, Filinvest, and the group of Mr. Manny Pangilinan, partnered with government to expand quarantine facilities to alleviate overwhelmed hospitals and exhausted healthcare workers. Over the course of a few weeks, the companies converted arenas and convention centers into dedicated COVID-19 treatment facilities. Companies under the Ayala Group also came together for Project Heal, an initiative to convert QualiMed Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna into a COVID-19 referral facility. The group built a COVID testing laboratory, and expanded the hospital’s wards, ICU facilities, and manpower.

Building Stamina beyond the pandemic

The Ayala Group, like all companies today, is working to find a balance between protecting lives and restoring livelihoods. Despite these new challenges, the group also recognizes a new opportunity to reshape industries through digital technologies.

As more and more Filipinos adapt to online shopping while they confine themselves to their homes, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) observed that 81% of transactions are now done via online channels, up from 71% before the quarantine. Transactions via the BPI app also grew by 118%, while platform enrollments increased by 125%. Similarly, GCash’s total users doubled during the quarantine period while its transaction volume doubled in June, compared to pre-quarantine levels.

Ayala Malls is likewise adapting to the increasingly digital consumer behavior. To facilitate online shopping, Ayala Malls started DriveBuy, a curbside pickup system where customers can quickly and safely claim their online purchases without having to enter the premises. Ayala Malls continues to reconfigure its spaces to meet growing digital demands.

With consumer behavior quickly shifting online, healthcare, too, is beginning to migrate to the digital space. The recent heightened interest in telemedicine gave way to AC Health and Globe’s 917 Ventures’ HealthNow, a digital teleconsultation platform that, in its web-based pilot phase, matched 11,000 consultation requests with its pool of volunteer doctors. Due to this success, HealthNow will be relaunched this month as an all-in-one mobile health app that can help netizens consult a doctor through video, buy medicine for delivery, and book clinic and lab appointments.

Zobel further highlighted the two critical areas to which private sector companies could contribute to put the country back on the path of progress. First, he noted how an improved digital internet infrastructure could support the delivery of essential services and keep people connected. In this light, Globe Telecom continues to work with stakeholders to overcome persistent challenges that make this improvement difficult, while rolling out significant CAPEX to realize its plans.

Next, Zobel noted the importance of supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which make up 99.5% of the country’s registered businesses, and provide 63% of employment and 35% of the national GDP. The Ayala Group recognizes that its network of some 250,000 MSMEs are an indispensable part of the its success, and belongs to a larger group of MSMEs that make up the backbone of the national economy. To protect this network during this uncertain time, the group launched the Ayala Enterprise Circle as a platform to provide its partner MSMEs with training modules, networking opportunities, and support services that would help them cope with the unprecedented challenges they now face.

Though much remains to be done to help the country overcome this crisis, Zobel looks at these aforementioned initiatives as examples of progress that can be achieved through cooperation. He hopes that this renewed spirit of partnership between the private and public sectors will be maintained even after the pandemic is defeated.

“As we continue to deal with the pandemic and its economic aftermath, it is my hope that within the business community and between the private sector and government, we would be able to build this strong sense of unity and commonality of purpose to solve our most critical problems. I believe that it is only when we pool our collective intelligence, resources, and commitment will we be able to overcome the challenge of COVID-19, with Speed, Scale, and Stamina,” Zobel concluded.

Makati, Philippines – July 29, 2020 Ayala Corporation Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala enjoined the youth to become nation builders at the Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Siklab Youth Nation-Builders Webinar, which was livestreamed on Facebook on July 25, 2020.

“We certainly live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world that is made even more difficult by COVID-19. Despite this, I believe that there is always hope, and that you are all in a unique position to generate meaningful change. People-centric innovation and a strong commonality of purpose are the best tools to making this change happen,” Zobel said.

Zobel, who received the 2014 RVR Award for Nation Building, shared studies by McKinsey and Innosight that indicate how innovations developed during crises allow companies to thrive long after the disruptions have passed. However, he added, these innovations must fulfill a purpose.

To illustrate this point, Zobel shared some of the meaningful initiatives that the Ayala group has put in place to address the pain points of its stakeholders during this time of COVID-19. Ayala’s healthcare unit, AC Health, has been providing insightful innovations such as the conversion of the Healthway Medical clinic in Greenbelt 5 into a chemotherapy infusion center, the conversion of QualiMed Sta. Rosa in Laguna into a COVID-19 referral facility, and the upcoming HealthNow app, which currently runs as a web-based telemedicine platform operated together with Globe Telecom’s 917 Ventures.

Zobel further observed another positive outcome of the pandemic, namely the tighter collaboration between the private sector and government. He noted the renewed spirit of partnership between the private and public sectors in helping the country fight the global crisis.

Earlier this year, for example, Ayala was the lead collaborator in Project Ugnayan, a consortium among 270 private companies that raised PHP 1.7 Billion in funds to bring food aid to the most economically vulnerable communities in Greater Metro Manila. In partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Caritas Manila, Project Ugnayan distributed P1,000 grocery vouchers to 2.8 million families or over 14 million individuals in these communities. The multi-sector initiative also distributed food relief through ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program.

The Ayala group has also been collaborating closely with government in Task Force T3 (Test, Trace, Treat) to expand the country’s national testing capacity by 13 times from just 4,500 in April 24 to 60,000 by July 12. Other participating companies include Aboitiz, ABS-CBN, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, the Razon Group through Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, and the Yuchengco Group. Today, the group continues to ramp up its healthcare efforts to bolster support for the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in light of the pandemic.

Despite this challenging time, Zobel recognizes tremendous potential in the next generation of workers to make meaningful change through new and innovative means.

“I sincerely hope that you, our young leaders, will ignite the spark that will lead our country on an irreversible path towards equitable progress. [I] strongly believe that there is no shortage of passion, creativity, and commitment within the Filipino youth. We all look forward to the legacy that you will create for your generation and future ones,” Zobel concluded.

The RVR Siklab Awards honor young trailblazers that display entrepreneurial spirit with a passion to make lives better, and a commitment to nation building. The webinar brought together civic leaders and young achievers to discuss current challenges and provide relevant insights on achieving innovative and sustainable solutions. About 1,300 viewers tuned in to watch the live webinar, which also featured RVR Nation Building Awardee Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of CARD MRI, and RVR Siklab Awardees Jan Bernard Tan, Co-Founder of iVolunteer Philippines and The Good Store Philippines, and Melissa Yap, Founder and Executive Director of Got Heart Foundation, Inc.. Br. Armin Luistro FSC of the Lasallian East Asia District gave the opening remarks, while PHINMA Corporation President and CEO Ramon del Rosario, Jr. closed the session with a message of hope for future generations of Filipinos.

The Ayala Group, led by its healthcare unit, Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), has committed to further increase its efforts to support the government in the fight against COVID-19, during a meeting with IATF officials.

On July 25, the AC Health group, led by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, welcomed DOH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, DND Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, IATF Chief Implementer Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., IATF Chief Treatment Czar Usec. Bong Vega, Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez, and Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe of the WHO to Qualimed Sta. Rosa for a tour of the hospital and a discussion of Ayala’s COVID-related initiatives and various collaboration efforts with the government.

“Being one of the first private institutions to respond to COVID-19, the Ayala group continuously works with the IATF and the government in providing testing and treatment modalities for patients all over the country. Mabuhay po kayo!,” Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.

“We are very thankful to the Ayala Group for heeding the call for greater collaboration between the government and private sector, and more importantly, for demonstrating the indomitable Bayanihan spirit of the Filipino people. This partnership between government and private sector is crucial in winning the battle against COVID-19, and making the successful transition to the ‘new normal.’,” Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. added.

As of June 30, the Ayala Group and AC Health have provided much needed COVID-related support to the government and the general public, with over P9B allocated for COVID-19 initiatives. Among these initiatives were the construction and upgrade of treatment and quarantine facilities like the World Trade Center We Heal As One facility, the Philippine Red Cross testing lab and 7 RT-PCR laboratories across the country. Swabbing booths for the government’s 4 mega Swabbing centers and NAIA terminals were also provided. Monetary and in-kind donations were allocated for testing kits, RPT machines, PPEs, among others.

“The Ayala Group renews its commitment to support the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to address our local health care needs in light of the pandemic. In the next few weeks, we will continue to ramp up our testing capacities, expand our treatment and isolation facilities, and roll out various innovations, including a lower cost non-invasive ventilator, and an online healthcare platform,” Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of the Board of AC Health said.

Throughout the crisis, AC Health has maintained operations of their FamilyDOC primary care clinics, Healthway multi-specialty clinics, and Generika drugstores, providing much needed healthcare and medicine to patients. It has also led the conversion of Qualimed Sta. Rosa into a COVID-19 referral hospital, and has already capacitated 4 accredited COVID-19 laboratories located at the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF) and Qualimed hospitals at Sta. Rosa, Laguna, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, and Iloilo City, Iloilo. Testing equipment were also donated to the University of Cebu Medical Center (UC Med) and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

To further support the government, AC Health plans to double the capacity of TDF from 200 daily tests processed to 400 by purchasing additional equipment and increasing manpower. In addition, the Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) in Batangas, a member of the Qualimed Health Network, was also recently accredited as a COVID-19 laboratory for an additional 1,000 tests per day. With these advances, the Ayala Group will provide a total daily testing capacity of 5,650 tests per day, in support of the DOHIATF’s T3 (Test, Trace Treat) program.

In addition, in partnership with Qualimed Sta. Rosa, led by Dr. Edwin Mercado, AC Health is looking to expand the hospital’s isolation and quarantine facilities, as cases continue to rise in the Laguna area. Qualimed Sta. Rosa has been able to screen nearly 3,000 suspect cases and has admitted over 100 confirmed cases since the beginning of March.

Furthermore, the Ayala Group through its subsidiaries has planned additional investments in innovative COVID-related programs, particularly to help improve the country’s supply of ventilators and to promote teleconsultation.

AC Industrials manufacturing platform Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), a globally leading manufacturing services provider, has brought in the Ventura CPAP ventilator, a low-cost non-invasive ventilator, for Philippine use. The Ventura was developed by IMI’s United Kingdom-based subsidiary, Surface Technology International, in collaboration with international institutions and has been approved for use in the United Kingdom. The Ventura is now manufactured in IMI’s Laguna complex and once certified locally, will make available an additional 10,000 ventilators for the country.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom’s 917Ventures and AC Health’s Vigos Ventures are also collaborating to create HealthNow, an all-in-one health app that will offer video consultations, medicine delivery, and clinic appointment booking, to be launched in August. By providing online access to doctors and healthcare services, HealthNow allows patients to get immediate care, and can also help decongest hospitals.

“We remain committed to protecting our fellow Filipinos and will continue to invest in much-needed testing and treatment facilities for our communities, and look for even more innovative ways to help. This is a tremendous challenge but we are one with the government in fighting this virus.” AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo added.

Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala conveyed his appreciation to lawmakers led by Congresswoman Sharon Garin and members of the House Committee on Economic Affairs for extending the invitation for him to participate in the discussion on “A Private Sector Perspective in Build Back Better After Covid-19”.

Zobel said that the IATF’s implementation of community quarantine has given the country more time to boost healthcare capacity, formulate proper policies, and implement the necessary infrastructure to curb the rise of COVID-19 cases, which the University of the Philippines projected would have reached 3.5 million cases or 171,000 deaths if no lockdown had been imposed.

“The private sector supports the government’s initiatives to safeguard the nation’s collective health and help restore our people’s confidence through appropriate health-related guidelines and measures,” he said as he highlighted areas where the private and the public sectors can work together even more closely for a “better, more resilient normal.”

Zobel also highlighted the initiatives of the economic managers and monetary authorities led by Secretary of Finance Carlos Dominguez and BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno, to proactively mobilize the resources needed to fund public health investments, subsistence support for the most vulnerable, and liquidity for the financial system and job preservation, thus laying the foundation for building back better.

Testing, Tracing, Treating, Teaching

In his speech, Zobel thanked Sec. Carlito Galvez and Sec. Vince Dizon, Chief Implementer and Deputy Chief Implementer of the COVID-19 National Task Force, for onboarding the private sector in the whole-of-nation effort led by the IATF and the Department of Health against COVID-19.

In particular, he cited the private–public coalition Task Force T3 (Test, Trace, Treat), which includes private companies, the Asian Development Bank and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, and has helped to increase the country’s testing capacity by 13-fold—from 4,500 tests pre day on April 24 when T3 was launched, to approximately 60,000 by July 15. The country has set a target of completing a cumulative total of a million tests by the end of July.

To support the governments’ initiatives, many in the private sector such as Aboitiz group, DM Consunji, EEI Corporation, Filinvest, Manila Bulletin group, Megawide, Megaworld, MVP group, Razon group, SM group, Udenna and Vista Land helped to rapidly convert sports arenas and convention centers into dedicated COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facilities and Mega Swabbing Facilities. With the ICCP Group and Manila Exhibition Center Inc. (MEC), and with
support from the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the government, the Ayala group converted the World Trade Center into a 500-bed quarantine facility.

Private hospitals such as Asian Hospital, Chinese General, De La Salle Medical, Makati Med, Medical City, Mount Grace and Saint Luke’s, are also playing a key role in supplementing the COVID-19 treatment capacity of the Department of Health’s hospital system.

Many in the private sector have also contributed significantly to the country’s RT-PCR testing capacity, notably LT group, MPIC, Red Cross, San Miguel and Unilab. Furthermore, in partnership with Qualimed, Aboitiz, Lopez group, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, Razon group and the Yuchengco group , the Ayala group is building out 4 BSL-2 laboratories and has helped to capacitate 3 existing laboratories (the Tropical Disease Foundation in Makati, UCMed in Mandaue City and the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City). Zuellig Pharma has also been assisting with supply chain management.

Meanwhile, the Ayala group also joined 300 private companies in Project ARK led by Sec. Joey Concepcion. ARK is leading the way in complementing the government’s testing initiatives and has already helped procure almost 2 million test kits, with 65,000 tests already administered at the LGU level. ARK and Congresswoman Janette Garin, who is the ARK-PCR private sector chief implementer, have also donated RT-PCR machines to 12 hospitals nationwide and are supporting a study to validate the accuracy of pooled testing for RT-PCR.

Zobel also highlighted the importance of the fourth T (Teach) in T3. Beyond establishing sanitation protocols in workplaces, private companies should also rollout educational campaigns that would guide the public in adjusting to the “new normal.”

“There is a strong need to highlight the significant positive impact that adhering to stringent minimum health standards can generate and complement this with strong measures to protect our vulnerable population segments,” Zobel said.

Transportation, Digitization

Zobel also said there is a need to provide safe, affordable, and convenient mass transportation for the workforce.

He cited as an example the strict health and safety protocols being implemented in LRT-1 for a safe re-opening of the train line. Plastic barriers have been installed to allow for physical distancing. Thermal scanners have been deployed in all stations, and UV disinfection technologies have been developed in collaboration with the UP Engineering Center, to disinfect trains after every roundtrip, while common areas are cleaned every 30 minutes. An emergency disinfection
response team that is trained and equipped can also be immediately deployed should there be a suspected case in a certain station. Contactless payment systems are also in place to facilitate a seamless and safe travel experience.

Meanwhile, with the rising demand for digital platforms for the delivery of basic goods and services, Ayala entered the telemedicine space through HealthNow, an all-in-one digital platform that serves as an alternative channel for patients to access primary healthcare without leaving the safety of their homes. During its April to June pilot run alone, the platform had over 11,000 patient consultation requests.

Zobel also noted that the community quarantine brought on a significant increase in consumer engagement on digital financial apps, such as Globe’s GCash and BPI’s mobile banking app. From March to June, GCash experienced a 138% increase in daily active users and 157% jump in daily active transactions. Transactions on the BPI mobile banking app, on the other hand, accounted for 90% of all bank transactions as of mid-April compared to only 70% prior to the quarantine.

Helping the Vulnerable Segments

Zobel also acknowledged the synergy between the business community, Caritas Manila, and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, where over 270 private entities united to raise funds for Project Ugnayan. The project was able to efficiently distribute in a direct, timely, and efficient manner, food and grocery relief to over 14 million individuals in the Greater Manila Area.

Furthermore, Zobel highlighted the challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises that have been badly hit by the pandemic. MSMEs, he said, account for 99.5% of the country’s registered businesses, 63% of employment, and 35% of the national gross domestic product.

“It is unfortunate that these concerns have led to many small businesses ceasing operations over the last few months,” he said. “We recognize the many initiatives of the Department of Trade and Industry to help our entrepreneurs withstand this crisis through financial support. Private sector groups, such as Go Negosyo, have also been critical partners in this effort, providing mentorship and online training to businesses.”

For the Ayala group, apart from waiving of rental fees in malls and extending grace periods for loan payments, the group has been actively supporting its network of over 250,000 MSMEs via the Ayala Enterprise Circle, where MSMEs can access training modules, networking opportunities, and support services to help them during these difficult times.

To prepare for a safe re-entry of its workforce, the Ayala group has set up its own testing facilities for its employees, which combines Rapid Antibody Testing as an initial screening protocol, with RT-PCR confirmatory tests. As of July 14, a total of 53,399 employees have already been tested as Ayala implements a group-wide workforce re-entry effort.

“As we navigate the uncertainties of the New Normal, we trust that the government will provide us in the private sector with guidance and support as we work together towards a better and more resilient Philippines after the pandemic,” Zobel concluded.

Makati, July 9, 2020 – Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said embracing science and technology is key to a better, more resilient normal.

In his keynote address delivered at the 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and Technology held today, Zobel emphasized the importance of data and insights in understanding and developing solutions to the long-standing societal problems the country faces today.

Zobel shared that the Ayala group regularly gathers data from across its different business units to better understand evolving consumer behaviors and needs, thus allowing it to provide improved services and relevant products.

For instance, with the rising demand for digital platforms for the delivery of basic goods and services, Ayala’s AC Healthcare Holdings (AC Health) penetrated the telemedicine space through HealthNow, an all-in-one digital platform developed in partnership with Globe 917 Ventures. This digital platform serves as an alternative channel for patients to access primary healthcare without leaving the safety of their homes. During its April to June pilot run alone, the platform had over 11,000 patient consultation requests with the top specialization requests covering family medicine; dermatology; obstetrics and gynecology; and ear, nose and throat concerns.

Zobel also noted that the community quarantine brought on a significant increase in consumer engagement on digital financial apps, such as Globe’s GCash and BPI’s mobile banking app. From March to June, GCash experienced a 138% increase in daily active users and 157% jump in daily active transactions. Transactions on the BPI mobile banking app, on the other hand, accounted for 90% of all bank transactions as of mid-April comparing to only 70% prior to the quarantine. The digitalization of its financial services has been the main driver of Ayala’s efforts to promote financial inclusion across a broader demographic particularly the unserved and underserved segments of the population.

And on education, Ayala believes that the current shift to distance learning may become an integral part of the Philippine education system given its many benefits for both students and teachers. Ayala Corporation itself has also explored online learning platforms, such as Coursera and Degreed, to maintain a high level of productivity and engagement within its workforce a significant number of whom continue to work from home.

Ultimately, Zobel emphasized the importance of strengthening the ties among science, industry, and government in finding long-term solutions to address the country’s most pressing challenges. He cited Task Force T3 (Test, Trace & Treat), which aims to expand the country’s RT-PCR testing capacity, as an example of a highly successful public–private partnership model which may be applied in other areas.

Ayala’s contribution to the Task Force T3 includes the conversion of the World Trade Center into a 502-bed quarantine facility and donation of swabbing booths for all 4 Mega Swabbing Centers. In addition, together with other private companies, Ayala has built and capacitated 7 Biosafety Level 2 Laboratories across the country to augment the national testing capacity which has now reached almost 75,000 tests per day.

“I am a firm believer in the power of co-creation and collaboration. Let’s reimagine the world we live in and the way things are using this crisis as a way of refashioning the way we live. I believe that the sciences and the science-based approach has a lot to teach us in that regard,” Zobel said in closing.

National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. called for everyone to work together in controlling the spread of COVID-19 as he highlighted the urgent need to not only safely reopen various sectors, but more importantly, keep the economy open.

“Though the lockdown bought us time to increase public health capacity, we now must face the challenge of reopening the economy,” Galvez said in a meeting with the private sector.

He expressed deep gratitude towards the Task Force Test, Trace, Treat (T3) and its private sector partners in coming together to ramp up the country’s overall testing capacity to 74,000 tests per day, with 75 labs and a turnaround time of just 72 hours or less for results. This increased from a capacity of 3,000 tests per day in April and only 17 labs with a turnaround time of 2 weeks, before the T3 coalition was formed.

T3 is a partnership between the IATF, the Department of Health, the Asian Development Bank, the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and several dozen private organizations. Its goal is to help ramp up the government’s Testing, Tracing and Treatment efforts to beat COVID-19.

Deputy Chief Implementer Secretary Vince Dizon added that the goal is to now do 10 million tests within the next 10-12 months, with plans to aggressively expand testing protocols to non-medical personnel, particularly to essential workers frequently in contact with large volumes of people such as security guards, cashiers, market and street vendors, and transport sector workers, as well as in economic zones and priority tourist destinations.

“It has been a challenging fight thus far, and we will continue to face these challenges head on through various efforts of the national and local governments and with the private sector as an invaluable partner in this fight. It is only by working together that we can again start to rebuild our lives and the economy,” Dizon said.

Discipline will be vital in the New Normal

Galvez and Dizon also stressed that as the country opens up more, every Filipino must take more responsibility and be very disciplined in following basic health measures and precautions to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of the public. They also called on both local governments and private companies to strictly enforce the wearing of masks, frequent hand washing, and physical distancing.

They also urged the private sector to do their part in testing their workforce and conducting aggressive contact tracing in the workplace using StaySafe.ph. They cited the effort undertaken by the San Miguel Corporation to open their own COVID-19 laboratory to test all of their 70,000 employees.

PPP at its best

T3 was established at the end of April in response to the President’s call for a whole-of-nation approach to battling COVID-19, and since then almost all the major companies throughout the country have responded resoundingly in an unprecedented partnership with the government.

“We would not have been able to do all of these without the help of our partners in the private sector,” Dizon said. “This is why we humbly ask for continued partnership with the private sector to support the way forward to manage COVID-19 and keep the economy open safely for the benefit of every Filipino.”

The private sector also expressed its commitment to continue to support the initiatives of T3 moving to its next phase. The heads of partner companies were present at the briefing and conveyed their intent to help and train people to get back on their feet. This includes helping them practice behavioral modification and situational awareness during the new normal.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation, said that as more of the country reopens, there is a need to greatly expand risk-based testing.

“Our health care workers, our frontliners in sectors like utilities, banking, retail, sanitation and security; as well as our employees who will be returning to the workplace, all need to be tested regularly. We in the business community stand by our commitment to partner with government so that Filipinos can resume their lives, with utmost care and proper precautions.”

Josephine Gotianun-Yap, Filinvest Development Corp. President and CEO, recognized the need for timely data analysis and surveillance. “We laud the efforts of the government to get us back to our normal lives. Timely and efficient data gathering, and reporting are also crucial. We are willing to continue to lend technical assistance to local government units to strengthen field surveillance for prompt data so immediate action can be done,” she said during the briefing.

Manny V. Pangilinan, Chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp, PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc., also stressed how important contact tracing is if people will be learning to live while managing the virus. As such, more technology should be used such as the contact tracing app, StaySafe.ph. “We need more accurate contact tracing as more of our employees go back to work,” he said.

For parties interested in participating in T3, please contact Bill Luz of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation at gm.luz@competitive.org.ph.

LEARN MORE

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for taking the time to join us today—and I hope that you all are keeping safe and healthy during these challenging times. I am delighted to welcome you to our second Ayala Enterprise Circle virtual forum, focusing on Health and Wellness for SMEs in the Time of COVID-19.

For those joining us for the first time, let me just provide a quick background on the Ayala Enterprise Circle. The AEC is the Ayala Group’s platform to support and engage our country’s Small and Medium Enterprises. SMEs are critical components of the economy, comprising 99.5% of the country’s registered businesses, and accounting for 63% of employment and 35% of the national GDP. Within the Ayala Group, 250,000 SMEs are vital economic partners of our different companies. We thank all our SME partners for your continued trust and support.

Through the AEC, we aim to provide access to useful information, tools, and partners to enable SMEs to scale and succeed through various exclusive programs. This webinar is part and parcel of a larger set of activities within the AEC, which includes industry expert mentorship, online classes and masterclass training, and business-matching and co-marketing opportunities. We will provide further information on these in the next few months. We hope that you will join us as members of this exclusive network.

The Ayala Enterprise Circle is just one component of the Ayala Group’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the crisis, we felt that it was important to find ways where we can meaningfully help the country. As we were thinking about our response as a group of companies, we made sure that the principles of Putting People First and Public-Private Partnerships will be central to our decision-making.

When the Enhanced Community Quarantine was announced back in March, our immediate priority was the welfare of the stakeholders that we touch daily. This includes our employees, our suppliers and partners—which includes all of you—and the broader community. We continue to develop programs to help in the economic and health needs of our stakeholders during the current pandemic, and in the near future, when the world finally recovers from this emergency.

Despite the pains that COVID-19 has caused, it opened an opportunity for different sectors to come together and work for a common purpose. Over the last three months, it was very encouraging to see both the government and private sector working this close together on several initiatives.

Out of this crisis, we saw a tremendous opportunity to help upgrade the country’s facilities and capabilities. Health and Wellness is one area where there is strong Public-Private Partnership. This was done through Task Force T3, which counts close to 40 private organizations working hand-in-hand with government on the COVID-19 response effort. 

For Ayala, our teams at our healthcare company, AC Health, quickly mobilized and developed a Triage, Testing, Treatment, and Tracking framework to assist both our employees and the broader public. Let me just quickly go through some components of the framework:

On patient screening, which we call triage, we continued to operate over 75 of our FamilyDOC and Healthway clinics to provide extended frontline services, and non-COVID-related treatments to patients. As of the second week of June, we have screened and referred to appropriate facilities over 15,000 suspected cases of COVID-19. In addition to our physical clinics, we also recently launched HealthNow, a free web-based platform that connects patients and doctors for teleconsultation services.

On Testing, the Ayala Group is part of a consortium of several companies that is building 7 laboratories capable of the gold standard RT-PCR tests for COVID-19. This will add approximately 5,500 tests per day to our national testing capacity. Two of these facilities have already been inaugurated: a laboratory in the Tropical Disease Foundation in Makati and QualiMed Sta. Rosa in Nuvali. We have also completed the installation of the RT-PCR machines in University of Cebu Medical Center and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. For interested parties, AC Health is offering rapid testing services to companies and individuals. Our friends from AC Health will be able to provide more information on this service later in our program.

On Treatment, one key initiative is the upgrading of QualiMed Sta. Rosa in Nuvali into a COVID-19 facility. As mentioned, we have already completed a COVID-19 testing laboratory and triage area. This is one piece of a larger effort to improve the hospital’s capabilities, which includes the construction of quarantine areas, expansion of ICU facilities, increase in the number of beds for COVID-19 patients, and recruitment of a top-notch team of well-trained, fully-equipped, and protected medical professionals.

Aside from this, together with the Department of Public Works, the ICCP Group, and other partners, Ayala led in the conversion of the World Trade Center into a 502-bed quarantine facility, which is the biggest in the country and was completed in just seven days. We also constructed swabbing booths for the testing requirements of our returning OFWs.

These are just some of the many initiatives where the public and private sectors are working together for a strong and effective response to COVID-19. This crisis has highlighted the opportunity to upgrade our country’s healthcare capacity. COVID-19 has shown us how important it is to stay at the forefront of the country’s needs, and we remain committed to helping improve the country’s healthcare system moving forward.

However, let us continue to keep in mind that the battle against the virus is far from over and there will continue to be challenges, given the unprecedented scale and nature of this crisis. Nevertheless, with quarantine restrictions relaxing and parts of the economy steadily restarting, I encourage everyone to continue to remain vigilant. Most importantly, I encourage everyone to continue placing the health and safety of our people and employees at the top of our priorities. They are, after all, the main reason why our businesses exist. We hope that this afternoon’s dialogue will provide valuable insights and guidance on how your businesses can best navigate today’s challenging times.  

We have a full agenda today, so let me not take any longer and quickly introduce our guests for today.

We are privileged to have Dr. Manuel M. Dayrit, our former Health Secretary, who was the lead person of government during the SARS outbreak back in 2003. He will be sharing with us his views on the COVID-19 crisis from a public health perspective, as well as present some thoughts on the various health challenges that are affecting Small and Medium Enterprises.

We also have Paolo Borromeo, President and CEO of AC Health, who will talk on various healthcare access options for SMEs as we transition out of strict quarantine and as we recover from the pandemic.  He will also be joined by members of our leadership team from Generika Drugstore, our FamilyDOC and Healthway clinics, and our Health Technologies company, Vigos to respond to your specific questions on healthcare access.

Once again, thank you for joining us this afternoon. I look forward to an enlightening and productive session. I wish you all continued strength of health and spirit in these difficult times.