Metro Manila biggest quarantine facility opens in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines — The biggest quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients in Metro Manila funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) opened yesterday.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro led the inauguration of the 136-bed facility, which is expected to boost the city’s COVID-19 response.

The facility, located in Barangay Nangka, was built using 37 shipping containers that were converted into isolation rooms. Each container has four rooms, all equipped with an air-conditioning system, beds and bathrooms.

The facility also has rooms for doctors, healthcare workers, medical equipment and nurses’ stations.

Marikina now has seven COVID-19 emergency quarantine facilities, including three at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center.

The Marikina Hotel, Marikina Convention Center and Marikina Sports Center have one facility each. The city also has a bunker that was also converted into an isolation facility.

“With this facility, we will further lessen the number of cases of COVID-19,” Villar said in a statement.

Marikina has at least 2,989 COVID-19 cases. Seventy-four of the patients died while 2,680 have recovered from the virus. A total of 235 other patients are still recuperating from the virus.

Teodoro, for his part, assured the public that the quarantine facility is compliant with the health and safety standards of the national government.

He said these facilities will be used for other purposes when the pandemic is over.