MANILA, Philippines — The local garment industry lost more than 25,000 jobs, including 3,500 from just three factories that were shuttered due to the government’s purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) from other countries, industry players told the Senate on Wednesday.
They said the preference of the Department of Health (DOH) for imported PPE, mostly from China, had elbowed out local manufacturers whom the government had asked to repurpose their factories last year for the anticipated demand for PPE during the pandemic.
The manufacturers’ claims prompted Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, chair of the Senate committee on trade, to call for an investigation of the alleged…
Keep on reading: Imported medical wear cost 3,500 local jobs – PH manufacturers