Aboitiz Group to feed 200 patients, frontliners in Rizal Memorial Quarantine Facility
The Aboitiz Group has stepped up its relief efforts and committed a month of food provisions for around 200 patients and frontliners at the Rizal Memorial Quarantine Facility in Manila which opens on April 8.
Through its corporate social responsibility arm Aboitiz Foundation, the Aboitiz Group will provide the three daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) of about 84 medical and administrative personnel and 116 patients at the new quarantine facility.
Aboitiz will closely work with the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Corps, as well as the Department of Health in the operations of the facility that would handle COVID-19-positive persons with mild symptoms and persons under investigation and monitoring.
“The Aboitiz Group continues to ensure that our initial support to our brave COVID-19 frontliners and patients will be sustained in the days to come. We hope that by addressing the immediate nutritional needs of the healthcare staff and patients at the Rizal Memorial Quarantine Facility, we are able to strengthen the ‘warriors’ fighting the battle to defeat COVID-19 in our country,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
“We will continue to work together and support the government, because we are all in this together,” Aboitiz added.
The Rizal Memorial Quarantine Facility is located in the Ninoy Aquino Basketball Stadium within the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. It is one of several huge areas in Luzon currently being converted into hospital facilities for COVID-19 patients, to reduce the community spread of the virus.
“Alam naman po natin na dahil sa dami ng taong nagkaka-sakit sa Metro Manila lalo na, ang mga ospital po natin is unti-unti ng napupuno. Ang ginagawa po natin ngayon dahil sa mga facilities na ito naikakalat natin sa Metro Manila at sa buong Luzon, gusto po nating mapigilan ang pagdagsa ng mga tao sa ospital para po ang mga ospital natin ma-prioritize yung talagang mga medyo kritikal at severe ang sakit at pangangailangan. (We are aware Metro Manila’s hospitals are filling up with patients. So what we’re doing now is building quarantine facilities throughout Metro Manila and Luzon to be able to address occupancy concern in hospitals. This would enable the hospitals to prioritize patients with most critical and severe cases.),” BCDA President and CEO Vince Dizon said in a recent television interview.
These quarantine facilities are equipped with necessary medical equipment and provisions that would ensure the quick and comfortable confinement of patients.
“The quarantine facilities will have air-conditioned cubicles, free food for patients and the frontliners, free access to Internet connection, and 24/7 monitoring by doctors and nurses,” Dizon noted.
Further, Architect Dan Lichauco, a hospital design expert, said the quarantine facilities are designed to purposely prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection.
“The hospitals (quarantine facilities) itself are designed to make sure the patients are comfortable. We made sure that there are outlets in their cubicles so that they can plug in their devices, we also have nourishment stations, water stations, so that they can basically get what they need while they are quarantined there. We have adequate toilets and showers in each facility and in everything we do, we made sure na hindi po magkakahawaan ang mga tao (there won’t be further human infection) and we’re protecting the nurses and the staff as they move in and out of the facility,” Lichauco said in an interview with PTV4.
The Razon Group is helping the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and BCDA in the conversion of the Ninoy Aquino Basketball Stadium into a quarantine facility.
Other facilities that will be converted into quarantine areas are the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City Circle, Amoranto Stadium, Quezon Institute, PhilSports Complex, Duty Free, Food Terminal, Inc. Station in Taguig City, and the Filinvest Tent in Alabang.
Construction facilities are also underway at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, the Association ASEAN Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga, and the New Clark City Government Center in Capas, Tarlac, as well as the New Clark City Athletes’ Village.
Apart from the Aboitiz and Razon Groups, other private sector companies helping the national government in this initiative are EEI Corporation, Vista Land, the Ayala Group, Filinvest, Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines, World Trade Center Metro Manila, Lina Group of Companies, Meralco, PLDT, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, D.M. Consunji, Inc., and Concepcion Industrial Corporation.
“Ito po ay tunay na bayanihan (This is truly cooperation,)” said Dizon, describing the public-private collaboration for this initiative.
