Taiwan-Boom in face mask production.
MARIVELES, Bataan—While the world fears the spread of the A/H1N1 influenza virus, the Taiwanese company Medtex Corp., based at the Bataan Economic Zone here, has started increasing its production of face masks, bandage, isolation gowns and other medical garments.
Medtex, which has been operating at the BEZ since 1991, is now producing 150,000 pieces of face masks daily, or more than three times its normal production output before the outbreak of the virus last month in Mexico, a company official said.
Juanito Barles, deputy production supervisor of Medtex, said there was a radical increase in face mask production starting this month after the company’s marketing department asked for more output.
"Before the virus outbreak, we used to have only one shift. But because of the present [demand] and bulk orders from the marketing department, we are now implementing three shifts daily," Barles said.
Medtex’s products are shipped mainly to the United States, he said.
He said, however, the firm uses imported materials and possible delays in the importation may impact on the factory’s output.
"The only possible problem is that our raw materials are all being imported since they are not available locally," he said.
At the isolation gown section, the company is required to produce 500,000 pieces a month, a quota given by the firm’s marketing department, he said.
With the increased demand for its products, Barles said the company has no choice but to hire more workers.
He said at least 82 sewers per shift would be hired in its isolation gown section to cope with the increasing demand from the market.
Wei Chung Li, Medtex plant manager, said the company’s products are of high quality and based on international standards.
Wei said the firm also maintains hospital garments factories in China, Taiwan and Cambodia and is ready to accommodate bulk orders from the US when the outbreak worsens.
The Bataan factory, one of the BEZ’s more than 50 enterprises, has more than 50 workers, mostly women.
