AFP, private group turn over 3 EQFs to Marikina hospital

PATIENT CARE CENTER. A priest blesses the emergency quarantine facility at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City in a turnover ceremony on Monday (May 4, 2020). The facility was turned to the hospital by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the WTA Architecture+Design Studio. (Photo courtesy of AFP Public Affairs Office)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the WTA Architecture+Design Studio turned over three emergency quarantine facilities (EQFs) to the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (ARMMC) in Marikina City Monday.

These EQFs have a total bed capacity of 120 and were jointly funded by Marikina City and the United Architects of the Philippines-Manila Chapter.

The construction of the facilities was made possible by the Office of The Chief Engineer of AFP led by Maj. Gen. William Ilagan and volunteers Danny Ko and Leah Longalong.

AFP Inspector General, Lt. Gen. Ramon Ang Lim led the ceremony with Ilagan, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, 51st Engineering Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Anthony Ramos and WTA’s Architect William Ti Jr., project leader of the EQF team.

“I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who made this endeavor possible and for everyone who extended their support. The AFP deeply appreciates this assistance and partnership. We hope that this will continue to inspire everyone to contribute in winning this challenge,” Lim said in a statement.

The EQF Team targets to build a total of 62 EQFs. As of May 3, the group of volunteer architects and firms has constructed 56 facilities with six others still being constructed.

Eight of these EQFs are built to augment military hospitals — three at the Army General Hospital, two at the V. Luna Medical Center, one at the Philippine Air Force General Hospital, one at the Fernando Air Base Hospital and one at the Manila Naval Hospital.

The EQFs are designed to treat and isolate coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients with mild to no symptoms and should help decongest hospitals and increase the country’s capacity to contain the pandemic.

“All of us, from the people at the forefront to the people at home, has a role to play during this crisis. We may be physically apart but to win this war, we must stay united in spirit — closer more than ever,” Lim said.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said this will augment the hospital’s capability to accommodate more Covid-19 patients.

“What we are doing is an expansion of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, a DOH sub-level 3 hospital, so that they could accommodate more, accept more and admit more Covid-19 patients and with Covid-19-like symptoms in their facility,” he said.

Aside from city residents, those coming from Pasig and Antipolo City and San Mateo in Rizal will benefit from the facility.

“We will open this to them because we see that health service is not just for the benefit of one town but for everyone. The safety of a town also means the safety of its neighboring areas,” he added.

Last week, Marikina’s Covid-19 testing laboratory received its accreditation from the Department of Health. (with reports from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)