Pinoy milk tea brand launches face masks made for drinking in public

Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
www.philstar.com

 

MANILA, Philippines — Last month, broadcast journalist and novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivor Howie Severino was apprehended after momentarily pulling down his face mask to rehydrate. Authorities also reportedly apprehended bikers for taking their masks off in public to drink.

Incidents such as these make many people, like singer Frankie Pangilinan, ask: "How are we supposed to drink... osmosis???"

Apart from asking permission first from a law enforcer before taking off or lowering one's mask to drink in public, Filipino milktea brand Gallontea thought of a way on how people can enjoy a drink without taking their face masks off.

"We saw the struggle of customers when they have their drinks for takeaway and just wanted to give them a safe and easy way of enjoying their favorite drinks while in public," Chase Chianpian,  Gallontea owner, told Philstar.com on what motivated his company to come up with new face masks especially made for drinking.

"As we adapt to what we now call everyday life, there are really days that we can’t avoid going out. We rush to do our errands as fast a possible but then we face another dilemma. How to quench our thirst while we’re outside?"

Chianpian believes that the masks are the first in the Philippines with a built-in silicone button that allows big straws to go through the masks, enabling users to drink without taking off their masks.

The silicone button, said Chianpian, is big enough to fit large Tapioca pearls and other sinkers milktea drinkers love.

Since the masks are made of three-ply microfiber fabric, they are washable and reusable. They come for free from August 14 to 18 for a minimum purchase of P1,000 by placing orders through the brand's Facebook and Instagram pages.

"It also has a nose strip wire to perfectly fit your face as well as a pocket filter in case you want to add another layer of protection," Chianpian enthused.

"As we’re currently in MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), we’re also limiting the promo to deliveries only as to encourage everyone to stay home.”

Besides the face masks, the brand is proud to be arguably the first in the Philippines to introduce milk tea in gallons.

In an earlier statement, Chianpian admitted that although the pandemic has been rough for businesses like theirs, creativity, such as the new face masks with silicone buttons, can enable anyone to rise above any challenge.