Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is advising against the use of schools as isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients, instead calling on the government to speed up its construction of quarantine centers and field hospitals to ease the burden of the country's health care system.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate basic education committee, said on Wednesday, April 21, that using school as isolation facilities, and even evacuation centers in times of calamities, "is not sustainable and does not foster a culture of safety in the basic education system."

In his statement, he pointed out that the prolonged use of school facilities in times of disasters tends to delay the resumption of classes.

While public schools in the Philippines are currently being used as isolation centers, the senator maintained that investing on additional infrastructure would address the overwhelming of hospitals amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Ang mabilis na pagpapatayo ng mga field hospitals at mga quarantine centers ang isang paraan upang mabigyan natin ng agarang atensyon ang mga kababayan nating nagkakasakit (The speedy construction of field hospitals and quarantine centers is one way so that we can give our sick countrymen the medical attention they need)," Gatchalian said.

"Imbes na masanay tayong gumamit ng mga paaralan bilang isolation facilities o evacuation centers, ang dapat nating tiyakin ay ang pagkakaroon ng sapat at angkop na mga pasilidad para sa mga nangangailan ng tulong medikal (Instead of us getting used to using schools as isolation facilities or evacuation centers, we should ensure that we have the enough and proper facilities for those who need medical attention)," he added.

Gatchalian cited in other countries, field hospitals were installed to strengthen the capacity of their health care systems in managing COVID-19 cases.

"Thailand recently announced plans to put up 10,000 field hospital beds following a new surge of COVID-19 infections. Last year, up to 13,000 patients were treated in 16 temporary hospitals in Wuhan, China, which used to be the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic," he noted.

The senator added that in his home city Valenzuela, centralized isolation facilities using modular tents and military cots were set up for patient use.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a Manila Bulletin report that it has built a total of 634 isolation facilities with a nationwide capacity of 23,284 since the start of COVID-19 outbreak last year.

Local government units, meanwhile, have established around 9,700 temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.

Gatchalian appealed anew for the passage of his bill to build an evacuation center in every city and municipality in the Philippines, to provide temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated or displaced from their homes due to emergencies.