The COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines has put communities and various sectors at risk. As a result, calls for immediate support of vulnerable sectors were raised to help them cope with the quarantine. Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) partnered with various groups and individuals in conducting efforts to respond to this crisis. Bayanihan Musikahan was officially launched on March 19, 2020 – an online campaign to raise funds for the communities. This campaign is led by National Artist for Music, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, who got more than 80 Filipino musical artists in marathon musical performances as a way to bring the nation together in the spirit of bayanihan, and to direct it towards aiding our most vulnerable communities. As of May 30, 2020, the campaign had raised a total of ₱122,383,196, giving survival kits to 90,125 families.

PBSP partnered with the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid, an organization of beneficiaries of the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program (4Ps) that has an active list of at least 15,000 member families in the National Capital Region alone. Caritas Manila also provided the initial storage space requirements that staged these efforts and provided logistical and transportation support.

The campaign also supported the St. Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center that took in more than 400 homeless people and provided them with shelter and food. The campaign provided P500,000 worth of grants and food supplies. The homeless persons agreed to support by repacking goods that were distributed to urban poor families, demonstrating that everyone has the capacity to help.

The campaign also worked with Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Inc. in supporting local government-led quarantine centers for persons under investigation (PUIs) who had no capacity to self-isolate in the confines of their home. Surgical and KN-95 masks, protective goggles, surgical gloves, and alcohol were provided to the Quezon City Hope II quarantine center. The team also assisted the City Government in recruiting volunteer doctors and nurses to boost the capacity of the facility and provided for their monthly allowance.