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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN News) |
7-Eleven Philippines' store personnel surveyed around 38,000 ordinary people in more than 7,000 inner communities in the country last August according to a press statement released by Philippine Seven Corporation. The survey showed that only 60 percent of the respondents wore face masks which spurred PSC to put up COVID-19 update posters in all of its stores nationwide with barangay data of coronavirus cases. The posters are updated daily with data released by the DOH, showing the number of active COVID-19 cases in the areas where the 7-Eleven store is located as well as nearby villages. Through the information drives and other capacity-building initatives of local government units (LGUs) and their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT), PSC stated that its stores, the DOH and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are seeking stronger reaction against the pandemic.
"Our management philosophy is, 'show the right data in the right form to the right people at the right time, and they will make the right decisions.' You can't look over the shoulder of every store manager when you have 3,000 stores - you have to give him the freedom to manage his store but let him know how he is doing, so he can either be left alone, recognized or held accountable. We think the same is true with regards to managing COVID-19," said PSC president and CEO Victor Paterno in a statement. "BHERTs are the first-line responders to the public for any COVID-19-related health concern. Through 7-Eleven's information drive initiative with the BHERTs and the Barangay Disiplina Brigades, we aim for a stronger response at where transmission is most common - the barangay level," said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh Vergeire.
The COVID-19 update posters on 7-Eleven branches in the country will further raise awareness about the virus by informing customers about the number of active infections in their village. PSC is also slated to launch a "Bidang Barangay Contest" in at least 50 cities and municipalities across the country that will encourage both BHERT members and residents to be more proactive in sharing information about the number of COVID-19 cases in their areas. Convenience stores are among the numerous businesses that are not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the various degrees of community quarantine periods imposed since March considering that they offer essential products and services to the people in need, and it is good to know that the likes of 7-Eleven are exerting their own extra efforts in helping the national government in the country's ongoing fight and informing the public on the nation's progress during the pandemic in terms of the number of confirmed and active COVID-19 cases updated daily.
