BOCAUE, Bulacan — We Heal As One Center at Philippine Arena complex, Ciudad de Victoria is now ready to accept coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.
“We would like to thank the Iglesia ni Cristo headed by Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo. The government would like to thank you for your generosity. The spirit of bayanihan is very much alive,” National Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said.
Department of Public Works and Highways Task Force on Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities Head Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the We Heal As One Center-Philippine Arena can accommodate 300 patients and was completed in just 10 days.
This is one of the facilities converted by the government into quarantine centers as part of the strategy to locate, isolate and cure. It will be manned by 50 medical personnel from Department of Health.
“Ang ating strategy, kailangan natin i-trace yung posibleng may infection, so we locate them and then we test them. Pero hindi tumitigil doon; kailangan mo sila i-isolate kasi pag hindi mo in-isolate, magse-spread yung infection sa community. Kailangan din siguraduhin na ma-cure sila. Ang sistema na ito ay hand-in-hand (Our strategy is to trace those with possible infection so that we can locate them and then we test them. But it does not stop there. We need to isolate them to prevent the spread of the disease in the community. We should also ensure that they will be cured. This system goes hand-in-hand),” Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects and Bases Conversion and Development Authority President and CEO Vince Dizon said.
Aside from this, about 87 Overseas Filipino Workers from Spain and Italy are also currently staying at The Garden Suites in Ciudad de Victoria to complete their 14-day mandatory quarantine.
The We Heal As One Centers provide 24/7 health care, and have air-conditioned cubicles, free meals for the patients and frontliners, and free internet connection.
The Villar Group of Companies provided hospital beds at the facility. MVP Group of Companies, on the other hand, will provide free access for medical workers and patients via the North Luzon Expressway, free internet use via PLDT-SMART Communications, free connection to water supply from Maynilad Water Services and free installation of power lines and connection to the MERALCO grid.
Apart from Philippine Arena, there are also We Heal As One Centers located in Clark.
These include the ASEAN Convention Center (150 beds) and New Clark City National Government Administrative Center (688 beds but can expand up to 1,000) and Athletes’ Village (525 rooms).