CONSTRUCTION of a mega-vaccination site at the Nayong Pilipino property in Parañaque City will start as soon a memorandum of agreement is signed by government with the proponent of the facility, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said yesterday.
“Just a few minor technical edits being done. It’s already been vetted by the Department of Tourism… by the Department of Health. It’s now going through our Government Corporate Counsel… it will be signed very, very soon,” said Nograles, co-chairman of the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Foundation which will construct the mobile vaccination center which is expected to accommodate at least 10,000 persons.
The construction has been opposed by Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto who later resigned as director of the Nayong Filipino Foundation.
Isberto’s resignation has been accepted by President Duterte, according to Nograles.
He said issues raised by Isberto, like cutting down of trees at the park, have been addressed. He said no tree will be cut.
“It’s a reclaimed land; it is not being utilized. It seemed like an appropriate site in terms of accessibility. Wala namang tatamaan na mga puno diyan (No trees will be affected),” he said.
He said government is exploring other potential mega-vaccination sites and coordinating with the private sector to put up vaccination facilities or find more areas where vaccination centers may be put up.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the Smart Araneta Coliseum, also known as Big Dome, will be one of its mega vaccination sites.
She said vaccination is set to begin on Saturday. “We estimate that the Big Dome will be capable of delivering 1,000 to 1,500 COVID shots per day,” she said.
Bulk of vaccines brought by government are expected to arrive in the coming months.
The government is expecting some 3 million doses this month, including 2.2 million doses of Pfizer vaccines donated under the COVAX Facility.
Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19 and vaccine czar, said the country was supposed to receive just 1.1 million doses this month but he was informed by the World Health Organization backed COVAX that it is ready to deliver 2.2 million if the Philippines can handle it.
He said the country also expects 300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccines next week and 500,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech. — With Noel Talacay
