The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced that it will produce 500,000 reusable face masks to resolve the shortage of face masks amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
These face masks, according to DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, will be done through DOST’s Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI) in cooperation with Taytay local government unit and Power Fashion Inc.
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The company will donate local fiber textiles that will be used to make face masks.
On a Facebook post, de la Peña said, the face masks “will use a PTRI textile-coating technology for treatment and finishing,”
The re-wearable face masks can be reused up to 50 times and is water-repellent, GMA News reported.
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A textile water-repellent finishing technology developed by PTRI will be applied for enhanced protection against viruses and bacteria that usually spread through water droplets.
In an interview with GMA News, DOST-PTRI’s Supervising Science Research Specialist Evangeline Flor Pascua-Manalang said “the first 8000 masks will be ready by the end of next week. Ten thousand masks everyday thereafter.”
