Look! Angel Locsin's Bright Idea Could Help Fund Mass Testing In The Philippines

Angel Locsin's Instagram description says she's the following: "Volunteer, Activist, Film & Television Actress." They're written in that order.

And to get real, it's truly one of the most accurate social media descriptions you'll see of a celebrity today.

You'd have to be living under a rock—no, a boulder—to not know why Angel's burgeoning identity of a social activist has taken precedence over her artista status; since the COVID-19 crisis hit the country with all its might in March, she's been out and about finding ways and means to use her influence for good and aid in the efforts to push back against the crisis' consequences. 

To name a few of her initiatives, Angel spearheaded a fundraiser for hospital workers and other frontliners in more than 130 hospitals and healthcare facilities in and outside Metro Manila (she raised more than P11.3 million), oversaw the rapid development of auxiliary quarantine facilities to ease overcrowding in hospitals, partnered with the private sector for food and PPE donations, and of course, effectively raised awareness of the many issues connected to the COVID-19 crisis to inspire others to get on their feet and help just as she did. 

Collectively, she called that project #UniTentWeStandPH in reference to the sanitation tents constructed for COVID-19 patients and healthcare workers. This project came to a close in April.

A little less than a month later, she's onto her next big contribution: a bright little idea called Shop & Share.

Shop & Share is pretty straightforward: it's fundraiser, and proceeds will be used for COVID-19 expenditures across the country. Specifically, Angel is targeting the issue of mass testing, or more specifically, the lack of it. 

Mass testing has since become the most recent topic of heated debate among Filipinos.

As of this writing, the administration has been unclear about their plans to provide mass testing in the country, and it was suggested that the responsibility to do so be shouldered by the private sector. This was said in the context of several cities and provinces moving from ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) to MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), thus allowing the opening of businesses with employers being responsible for testing employees before allowing them to return to work. 

Angel has since tapped her wide network of high-profile friends and colleagues to be a part of this. 

The beauty of Shop & Share is that it calls on the participation of celebrities and personalities from all networks, backgrounds, and industries—no distinctions will be made. The collective effort among them highlights similarities, rather than differences. At this point, Angel reminds us all that at our core, we are simply all Filipinos helping other Filipinos.

She's reviving the project that was launched in 2009, this time, with a new set of beneficiaries. 

Here's a little backgrounder on how Shop & Share, according to Angel:

"It’s been a while since we’ve done this — way back in 2009 in fact when we first put up Shop and Share to help those who were affected by Typhoon Ondoy. We had actors, singers and even basketball players donate personal items from designer bags, clothes, jerseys, jewelry, etc., and we auctioned them off on ebay, with all the proceeds going to the Philippine Red Cross," she wrote on Instagram.

Angel has yet to specify who the 2020 edition of Shop & Share's beneficiaries are, but it's likely that medical facilities will be on the receiving end. 

Read her full post about the mass testing initiative below:

In the post, she tagged fellow celebrities Kathryn Bernardo, Karla Estrada, Jodi Sta. Maria, Vice Ganda, Piolo Pascual, Marian Rivera, Coco Martin, Liza Soberano, Richard Gutierrez, and many more, all of whom will hopefully participate in the efforts. 

Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, and Dimples Romana have also shared Angel's post on their own social media accounts. 

More details about the initiative have yet to be released, but those interested can already follow its official Instagram account, @shopandshareph.

Angel has accomplished much in the last two months.

However she knows that work has just begun, and that in reality, work like this—work done in the service of the Filipino—never truly ends. And yet she perseveres, all in pursuit of helping her kababayans when times are most difficult. 

Photos from @therealangellocsin