Shell supports pandemic frontliners with free fuel and discounts

MANILA: Pilipinas Shell is committing to do its share during the enhanced community quarantine to curb the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release, the energy company says it leverages a "strong culture of health and safety to ensure that... operations continue to support national mobility," particularly of frontliners engaged in the fight against the disease.

"Mobility is of key importance to frontliners as essential health workers, police and military personnel, and logistics drivers continue to brave the roads to reach their destinations," added the company. 

To this end, Shell has provided free fuel to 10 district partner hospitals and three transport companies. District partners, plus the Bonifacio Global City Bus service, get ₱10,000 a week for a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, bus companies Ube Express and Vallacar Transit’s Ceres buses get ₱30,000 and ₱100,000, respectively, over the next couple of weeks.

Shell also subsidizes fuel purchases through Project Bayanihan, extending a ₱3 discount for gasoline and ₱2 for diesel at 151 gas stations in Luzon and Visayas for all health workers, police and military personnel, and logistics drivers.

Additionally, four of the company’s retail sites in Bacolod are offering free Vitamin C for all customers who gas up.

Select-branded convenience stores in Luzon are offering food packs containing 500ml water bottles and biscuits for frontliners.

The company's various retailer partners are also providing additional support by offering free coffee, face masks, and snacks at stations. "Shell has also tapped partner establishments at certain stations to deliver free food to hospitals in Manila," continued the release.

“The health and safety of our people, our customers, and the community are most important to us, and we continue to monitor the situation closely so we can respond to the needs of our kababayans,” said Pilipinas Shell CEO and country chairman Cesar Romero. “As everyone plays their part in this fight against this pandemic, patuloy ninyong kasama ang Shell sa bawat biyahe ng buhay (we continue to be part of every journey in life).”

Shell maintains that its initiatives at retail stations belong to a larger effort to help assure the Philippines’ mobility, health and safety, and energy security.