Three days
That was the amount of time the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) needed to convert the historic Philsports Arena in Pasig City to a We Heal As One Center.
The venue, more known as ULTRA and once the home of the PBA, was repurposed to serve as an extra facility to isolate and treat novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.
The department reported the development on Saturday afternoon through its official Facebook page. There, it also disclosed that the facility houses 132 beds, as well as two nurse stations.
DPWH said that the construction at ULTRA formally started 8:00 AM of April 15 and originally intended to finish on April 19, 2020. But it was done a day before the projected completion.
Building We Heal As One Centers is part of the government’s efforts to repurpose government or private structures into health facilities as the country’s fight against the virus continues.
The Ninoy Aquino Stadium, the ASEAN Convention Center in Pampanga, the New Clark City in Tarlac, the PICC, and the World Trade Center also serve as We Heal As One Centers.
Other places, including the Ciudad de Victoria in Bulacan that houses the Philippine Arena and the Philippine Sports Stadium, are now being prepared to serve as quarantine facilities.
