BATANG MAYNILA
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno
Last June 24, we celebrated our beloved city of Manila’s “Araw ng Maynila” marking our city’s 450th Founding Anniversary.
Apart from the activities attendant to the celebration which were carried out very carefully in observance of the health protocols as we are still in a pandemic, two very important events marked the occasion.
I began my day with extreme gladness as I and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna personally welcomed the arrival at the NAIA Terminal 2 of the 400,000 doses of vaccines that we purchased from its maker, the Sinovac Life Sciences, Co., Ltd. based in China.
The city of Manila is very fortunate and privileged to have been given the opportunity to be the very first local government unit (LGU) not only in the country but in the entire world, to have been able to buy its own set of vaccines from Sinovac.
At past 7 a.m., the vaccines arrived via Cebu Pacific flight 5J-671 at Bay 49 of the NAIA Terminal 2 and I was accompanied not only by Vice Mayor Honey but also by Manila City Council Majority Floorleader Atty. Joel Chua, assistant secretary to the mayor Letlet Zarcal and Manila Health Department chief Dr. Arnold ‘Poks’ Pangan.
The vaccines worth P298.5 million is our gift to the citizens of Manila. With 200,000 expected to benefit from it, we will definitely romp up our vaccination efforts as soon as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues the necessary certificate of analysis.
At the rate our vaccination program is going — the last record we had was more than 35,000 jabs given in one day — I believe and hope that we will be able to finish vaccinating 200,000 residents in about two weeks’ time.
For this, we thank chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19 Carlito Galvez Jr., and Health Secretary Francisco Duque for their invaluable help and support by swiftly approving the documents needed which enabled the Manila LGU to purchase its own set of Sinovac doses.
My profuse gratitude also goes to the Ambassador of China to the Philippines Huang Xilian and the Beijing government for their assistance they lent so we can achieve the contract of acquisition at the soonest time possible.
Also on June 24, we inaugurated the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital located at the sprawling Burnham Green in Luneta. It became operational on the following day, June 25, 2021.
An initial 73 persons suffering from mild to moderate COVID were the first patients to have been accommodated there. They were taken from the COVID wards of the six city-run hospitals.
Looking back, we came up with the idea of building the said Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital due to reports of anticipated surge in coronavirus cases.
More importantly however, we wanted to declog our regular hospitals of COVID cases classified as mild to moderate, so that they can focus on other ailments that also require medical attention.
With this our seventh hospital in place, our six hospitals will still take care of those classified as severe or critical COVID cases while those who are asymptomatic, on the other hand, will be taken care of at the various quarantine facilities.
The Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital was constructed in record 52 days, with more than 300 construction personnel working 24 hours a day.
This hospital, too, is our gift to the people of Manila. In fact, to all Filipinos as we do not intend to close our doors on COVID patients who hail outside of Manila but need help.
My special thanks goes to the construction workers and of course, to City Engineer Armand Andres, City Architect Pepito Balmoris and City Electrician Randy Sadac who really focused on meeting the 60-day deadline we have imposed upon ourselves. Construction took a total of 52 days.
It has 344 COVID beds and an anti-microbial vinyl flooring, along with all the needed equipment and facilities required by COVID patients including intercom, electrical outlets and built-in trays for each bed, ambulances and medical frontliners, separate comfort rooms for men and women patients, wifi, TVs, piped ín music and cabinets, among others.
In consideration of the fact that those with moderate symptoms still face the possibility of being elevated to severe cases, each bed is also equipped with oxygen tanks and eight nurses’ stations.
It would make me happier though, that despite all these beautiful features, this Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital would not be used at all as this would mean that the coronavirus had been contained.
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Gaya ng paulit-ulit kong sinasabi, kailangan ko ang tulong ninyong lahat. Walang magmamalasakit sa Maynila kundi tayo ding mga Batang Maynila. Manila, God first!
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For updates on latest developments in the city of Manila, please visit my Facebook account – ‘Isko Moreno Domagoso.’