The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the government and the proponent of the mega-vaccination site to be put up in the Nayong Pilipino property in Parañaque City is now being finalized, paving the way for a vaccination facility that will allow for the vaccination of as many as 10,000 individuals a day.
This was revealed on Thursday by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who confirmed that the mega-vaccine facility would be put up following the signing of the MOA.
Signing the MOA would be the DOH on behalf of the government, and a representative from the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Foundation, which will be putting up the vaccination site for free.
“That MOA is forthcoming, just a few minor technical edits being done. It’s already been vetted by the Department of Tourism (DOT), it’s been vetted by the Department of Health (DOH), it’s now going through our Government Corporate Counsel. Just a few minor edits and it will be signed very, very soon,” revealed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Co-Chair.
Signing the MOA, said Nograles, would be the DOH on behalf of the government, and a representative from the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Foundation, which will be putting up the vaccination site for free.
Nograles also addressed claims that trees and wildlife would be affected by the construction of the temporary mega-vaccination site, and stressed that “wala naman matatamaan na mga puno dyan.”
“When drawings were being made to identify which site ang paglalagyan ng temporary vaccination mega site, talagang sinikap nila hanapin ang pinaka-feasible area na wala namang tatamaan na mga puno, and the DOT conducted its due diligence, and based on their reports to us (IATF), hindi naman po totoo na may lush forest na tatamaan dyan,” explained the Palace official.
The DOT had earlier clarified the same point, and revealed that the site was designed by respected architect and urban planner Felix “Jun” Palafox, Jr., the founder of Palafox Associates and two-time president of the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners.
Nograles also addressed claims that trees and wildlife would be affected by the construction of the temporary mega-vaccination site.
Nograles pointed out that the government continues to explore other potential mega-vaccination sites and to work with the private sector to put up vaccination facilities that will help ramp up the government’s vaccination efforts––and that working with Nayong Pilipino mega-vaccination site proponent ICTSI Chaiman Enrique Razon was part of this initiative.
According to the former legislator, “national government and local government units partner in this fight against COVID-19 with private sector partners at no costs to government.”
“Robinsons Malls, SM Malls, all the other malls, their parking lots; hospitals, mega hospitals; so it’s a partnership between public and private in this fight against COVID-19. And as long as there’s no cost to government, then there’s really no problem with that. I think that’s not happening just in the Philippines, it’s happening everywhere in different countries across the globe.”