ORION, Bataan – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) lead on Friday, the commissioning of a new quarantine facility that will prioritize the accommodation of seafarers involved in crew change activities at Port Capinpin of this municipality.
This new quarantine facility located in Port Capinpin is managed and operated by the PPA and has an area of about 1,271.6 square meters with a 124-bed capacity including 25 cubicles intended for high-risk cases separated by a Nursing Station.
Construction started on 23 September 2020 and was completed on 7 October 2020. The facility was funded by the Lopez Group of Companies as part of its PhP100 million donation to the DOTr and PPA in support of the fight against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
It may be recalled that last 5 September 2020, the DOTr, through its Maritime Sector, conducted the first crew change activity outside Metro Manila here at Port Capinpin.
From 1 September to 6 October 2020, the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) in this port that facilitates the seafarers’ requirements for crew change operations has served a total of 27 vessels with 564 Filipino seafarers and 20 foreign nationals.
Key officials present in the commissioning of the new quarantine facility are PPA General Manager Jay Santiago, Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Raul Del Rosario, DOTr Undersecretary for Administrative Service and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Representative Artemio Tuazon, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez, Assistant Secretary for Maritime Narciso Vingson, Jr. and Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs Goddes Hope Libiran.
Also present in the event were Bataan Governor Albert Garcia, Bataan 2nd District Representative Jose Enrique ‘Joet’ Garcia, Municipality of Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo, Jr. and Barangay Puting Buhangin Chairman Danilo Arsenio.