The biggest “We Heal As One” quarantine facility in the Southern Tagalog Region for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients recently opened in Calamba City, Laguna.
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary and Isolation Czar Mark Villar led the ceremonial blessing and turnover of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) Regional Government Center, considered as the mega quarantine facility of Region 4A with a 600-bed capacity.
“The Calabarzon Regional Government Center is considered as the mega quarantine facility of Region 4A with 600-bed capacity.”
Villar said that of the total 600 beds, 550 are intended to accommodate patients who have tested positive and categorized as mild and asymptomatic patients with the remaining 50 for medical frontliners who will be deployed in the facility.
Also in attendance are Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Chief Implementer of the Philippines’ Declared National Policy Against COVID-19; Interior Secretary Eduardo Año; and DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, head of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities organized to handle the construction of quarantine facilities all over the country that made up for the shortage of hospital beds because of COVID-19 outbreak.
DPWH Task Force technical working members namely Bureau of Design OIC Director Aristarco Doroy, Bureau of Construction Director Eric Ayapana and OIC Asst Director Edgardo Garces, and Regional Office 4A OIC Asst. Regional Director Jovel Mendoza were also present.
The Regional Government Center was repurposed into a mega quarantine facility.
The DPWH Task Force together with the Regional Office 4A was responsible for the repurposing of the Regional Government Center into a mega quarantine facility by constructing cubicles and nurse stations, quarters for the healthcare workers, and toilet and shower rooms for the patients, and installing air-conditioning units.
The facility was turned over to Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc Chipeco as this will be managed by the city government jointly with the Department of Health and Office of Civil Defense.