Keep Calm and Smile On: How These Transparent Masks Help Us in the New Normal

These Jelli M1 Transparent Masks are bringing visible expressions, especially our lovely smiles, back into the world

By Peaches Garcia of MEGA 

It’s definitely an understatement to say how much we miss seeing everyone’s beautiful and contagious smiles these past two years. With at least one mask covering about half our face, it’s become somewhat unusual to see others without one on. However, the excitement we get when we know we’ll be seeing our loved ones mask-less trumps that tenfold. Thankfully, we’ll finally be able to greet everyone with our own smiles while wearing a mask with the help of the Jelli M1 Transparent Masks that founder Steve Tsao created with his lovely daughters Madison, Alexandra, and Isabella in mind.

Standing as a startup company based in the Philippines, Jelli Tech was founded by Steve Tsao in 2020 after realizing that his daughters won’t see their friends’ faces once they head back to school in the midst of the pandemic. According to Tsao, “Everyone would be hidden behind a mask, so we thought of creating something that allows you to see the smiles behind those masks.” Not only that, the masks were also recommended for those who rely on facial expressions to communicate with.

To help with the goal of ensuring our smiles are seen, the Jelli M1 Transparent Masks have a unique anti-fog technology that guarantees our masks remain clear as day when we have them on. Besides, what’s the point of wearing a transparent mask when the purpose of showing our smiles gets disrupted by constant fogging?

The masks also have a panel on both sides, and each one is equipped with three filtration pads that we can easily replace after every use. With its safety feature, the Jelly M1 Transparent Masks are even FDA-approved in the United States. Not only that, but it also has bacterial filtration efficiency of 97%, beating other medical-grade masks such as the N95 and KF94.

Smiles of Jelli

People from different walks of life have been greatly helped by these transparent masks, which made their lives, especially during work, a lot easier. Chatting with Jelli Tech Intern Gillian Montalbo who spearheaded the brand’s Smiles of Jelli campaign, professionals like ER nurse Daniel De Leon and OFW Joan Cabral shared their struggles in recent years.

Working in the medical field, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, is no easy feat, but Daniel De Leon exclaimed how gratifying it is to see his patients recover and step back into the world. With his job as an ER nurse, being able to communicate properly with his patients is a must, so it’s definitely a huge sigh of relief that the Jelli M1 Transparent Masks help him and his patients understand each other a lot more, apart from his added capability to provide encouragement and positivity just by smiling at each and every one of them. De Leon added, “Sa totoo lang, mahirap maging nurse. Actually, wala namang madaling trabaho. Pero ‘yun nga, kapag passion mo siya at gusto mo siya, du’n ka magtatagal.”

Meanwhile, it’s undeniable that establishments like restaurants and eateries have experienced a pretty nasty hit because of the pandemic. In spite of that, Joan Cabral still pushes to overcome it all just to take care of her family back home. Currently working as a food service crew in Piatto, a restaurant in Saudi Arabia, Cabral knows the importance of welcoming customers with a smile, which she can easily do now because of the Jelli M1 Transparent Masks. Aside from that, she’s also glad she’s finally able to communicate and converse better with customers as this leads to lesser misunderstandings and a more satisfactory experience for both parties. To cap off their conversation, Cabral encouraged everyone through Gillian Montalbo to continue striving by saying, “Dapat kayong mag-aral nang mabuti para matupad ‘yung mga pangarap niyo, at para na rin makatulong kayo sa family niyo in the future.”

Currently, Jelli Tech has plans on providing additional support to other communities now that the world is opening up more, particularly in the education sector. With their target of donating about PHP 1M worth of masks to various schools and programs, it’s only a matter of time until we see everyone’s warm smiles once again.

To bring your own smile back, visit Jelli Tech on Shopee and Lazada. For more information on the Jelli M1 Transparent Masks, follow them on Instagram. You may also send them an email at arby@jellim.com for future collaborations.