Author
Adviser
COVID-19, first detected in 2019 in Wuhan City, China, resulted in a global pandemic that resulted in mobility restrictions, lockdowns, and millions of deaths.This virus outbreak overwhelmed the public health care system and resources. The collaborations through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) between the government and private sector have encouraged and significantly accelerated the COVID-19 efforts and vaccination rollout of the country as a response, creating PPP. This examined the role of the private sector in PPP during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines, using the case of SM Supermalls and its corporate foundation, SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI). Specifically, the study: 1. Identified SM Supermalls and SMFI’s engagement and partnership modality in PPPs during the COVID-19 Pandemic from 2020-2021, 2. Discussed the facilitating and limiting factors that affected SM Supermalls and SMFI’s engagement in PPPs during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 3. Analyzed the best practices in PPP during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and 4. Formulated recommendations for PPP Projects and partnerships. Results from the emerging themes from SMFI and SM Supermalls’s COVID-19 efforts showed that there are eight (8) projects that form their COVID-19 response. These are distribution of medical supplies, medical devices, food, and relief goods, financial donation, establishment of health-support facilities, and provision of vaccination sites. Four (4) of these projects were seen to be operated under PPP and falls under Type 1, 3, & 4 based on the conceptual framework used in the study. These were all made possible through service to the community, communications, seeing partnership as mutually beneficial, and collaboration. Their engagement is also contributed by the practices of volunteerism, urgency, teamwork, resource mobilization, inclusivity, consistency, and strong relationship with LGU and other sectors. There were also challenges experienced throughout the implementation of the COVID-19 efforts and vaccination rollout program but instead of seeing it as failures, these have further strengthened and motivated SM Supermalls and SMFI to improve their programs. Future PPPs can also be formed for cases such as this pandemic, and recommendations were given from the KIs and the researcher.