Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar announced the completion of a 128 bed capacity quarantine/isolation healthcare facility in Barangay Dagatan, Lipa City, Batangas.
“Our DPWH Batangas 4th District Engineering Office have finished the conversion of Lipa Academy of Sports, Culture and Arts (LASCA) into temporary medical facility for individuals who will be identified as possible and confirmed COVID-19 with mild symptoms”, said Secretary Mark A. Villar.
The completed facility was turned over on Friday, October 2, 2020 by DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, head of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities formed by chief isolation czar Secretary Villar, to Department of Health (DOH) Region 4A Director Eduardo Janairo and Lipa City Mayor Eric B. Africa.
The turn-over ceremony was graced by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto. Also in attendance at the event were Directors Aristarco Doroy and Edgardo Garces of DPWH Task Force technical working group, DPWH Region 4A OIC Assistant Director Jovel Mendoza, and Batangas 4th District Engineer Rody Angulo.
The DPWH Task Force has been more responsive in putting up quarantine/isolation facilities to address the urgent need for medical facilities made inevitable by the pandemic because that is what the people need.
The spike of infections in the Province of Batangas, considered as an industrial hub with many economic zones, compelled the government to advocate the bringing of all infected persons to isolation centers instead of home quarantine so as to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
Undersecretary Sadain said that construction of quarantine/isolation facilities with 20 beds at the Municipal Beach Pavillion in Brgy. Bucana, Nasugbu, Batangas is also on-going as well as the repurposing of San Pascual Evacuation Center, Batangas with 22 beds.
To augment and increase the health service capacity, the DPWH Task Force will also set-up 3 makeshift medical facilities using prefabricated units with 76 beds at the Batangas Medical Center in Batangas City.
