Facilities for patients, health workers open

MANILA, Philippines — As cases continue to rise, the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Hospitals group has designated Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Sta. Mesa, Manila, as its main COVID-19 referral hospital.

Metro Pacific’s 15 hospitals nationwide have been tasked to double their existing capacity for COVID-19 patients to more than 600 beds, parent firm Metro Pacific Investments Corp. told the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday.

Should the pandemic rise in intensity in the coming weeks, the hospitals’ group has been mandated to plan for supplemental tents, with beds and requisite equipment for noncritical COVID-19 cases in selected hospital grounds as an extraordinary measure, the disclosure said.

In the Archdiocese of Manila, several facilities will be used to accommodate medical front-liners.

“There are now more parishes and religious houses opening their facilities,” said Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo.

Temporary shelters available for health workers include St. Mary’s College, Convent of the Holy Spirit and OFM Provincial House San Bautista Province, all in Quezon City; St. Anthony Shrine, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Convent and Archdiocesan Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guia, all in Manila; and St. John Bosco Parish in Makati City.

Some parochial schools will also open their facilities as temporary shelters to the homeless and street dwellers. These include Malate Catholic School, Espiritu Santo Parochial Schools, and Holy Trinity Academy.