DPWH PR
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar has entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar for the development of healthcare facility for Covid-19 patients.
The MOA for the construction of 96-bed isolation facility was signed during the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Pandemic or CODE Team caravan in Las Piñas City spearheaded by Secretary Villar as the deputized Cabinet member assisting the city government with the challenges in dealing with the health crisis.
Secretary Villar has instructed Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, head of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of National and Local Health Facilities, to fast track the construction of offsite isolation facility at Almanza so that those COVID patients and close contacts traced can quarantine or isolate when in doubt in the quarantine facility to prevent the further spread of infection.
In line with the national government’s strategy to intensify response measures, Undersecretary Sadain reported at the CODE Team Caravan that the DPWH Task Force will work towards completing the offsite isolation facility at Almanza by end of September.
The DPWH Task Force has been supporting the national and local governments efforts against COVID 19 by spearheading the conversion of available spaces into makeshift hospital with bed cubicles and the setting up of modular healthcare facility nationwide.
Recently, three (3) multi-purpose buildings in Iligan City converted into quarantine facilities with 120-bed capacity and the repurposed center into 151-bed mega isolation facility in Brgy. Lantic, Carmona, Cavite were turned over to the respective LGU heads by Undersecretary Sadain.
The DPWH Task Force is also looking forward to start the construction of the first offsite modular hospital with 110-bed capacity for moderate and severe Covid-19 cases at Quezon Institute in E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City.
Undersecretary Sadain said that all the necessary engineering plans and procurement were already completed and we are just waiting for the necessary permit from the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Board that will allow DPWH to start and ramp up the construction activities.
