THE proposed establishment of a mega-vaccination center being pursued by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Interagency Task Force Nayong Pilipino Foundation in Parañaque is not part of the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for Covid-19 Vaccines. It is also highly questionable as the property will be used for free by a private foundation, according to the resigned executive director of the NPF.
About 2 hectares of the 9.5-hectare property of the Nayong Pilipino is already being used as a quarantine facility by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The rest of the property is now being requested for the mega-vaccination center sometime in March.
According to DOT, the proposed facility, which will offer drive-through and walk-in services, is designed to inoculate at least 12,000 individuals a day.
In a statement, the DOT also said such capacity “will be beneficial in the efficient administration of vaccines once more supplies arrive.”
Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto who resigned as Executive Director of Nayong Pilipino on May 9, hinted feeling the pressure put up by the proponents of the mega-vaccination center.
“This is no longer about just the environment. But the use of a public property for free by a private foundation,” she said.
“The DOT and ICTSI [International Container Terminal Services Inc.] want to use the land for free. We asked the DOH if that’s part of the plan, we were told: No…,” she said.
The DOH, she said, appears to be in the dark as to the plan because upon inquiry, the DOH said it’s not part of the national deployment and vaccination plan.
Under the Local Government Code, the implementation of the vaccination is [the mandate of] LGUs,” she noted.
Malilong-Isberto said she is surprised by the DOT’s interest in the establishment of the mega vaccination center when the DOH representatives in previous meetings she attended had nixed the plan.
Malilong-Isberto said issues were raised when the NPF came under pressure to sign a MOA that will allow the use of the property as a vaccination facility. They had been seeking details “as to who can use the PEF property and how it can be used,” saying such have legal implications. However, no details were given.
A lawyer, Malilong-Isberto said among the issues they raised in earlier meetings with the DOT is the prohibition of use of the NPF property for private purposes; that government funds or property shall be spent or used solely for public purposes, and that disbursements or disposition of government funds or property shall invariably bear the approval of the proper officials.
On April 15, 2021, NPF was invited to a meeting with the proponents of the mega-vaccination center, Malilong-Isberto said.
When the proposal was discussed, the DOH representative to the meeting said it was not in favor of building a vaccination facility that would require cutting many trees.
Malilong-Isberto added that even the DPWH representative said it was not in favor of building a new structure to be used only temporarily, as this could only turn into a “white elephant.”
It was during the said meeting that Tourism Undersecretary Edwin Enrile stated that the proposed vaccination facility would be run by ICTSI Foundation Inc.
On 28 April 2021, NPF was invited to a meeting of the technical working group (TWG) created to draft the guidelines for the use, where a representative of Palafox and Associates, according to the NPF, presented its design for the proposed vaccination center in Nayong Pilipino.
Malilong-Isberto said the DOH representatives acknowledged NPF’s concern about governance issues remaining unresolved, as the use of NPF land is governed by law.
Further, she said, the DOH and the AFP representative also asked why the vaccination facility had to be located next to an existing quarantine facility; this was not ideal, they reportedly noted.
To date, officials of the NPF said they are no longer being invited to meetings concerning the use of their property by Enrique Razon’s ICTSI Foundation Inc.
“Unfortunately, we have no further information on the mega vaccination facility itself. We are no longer being invited to meetings concerning our property in Parañaque,” an official who sought anonymity told the BusinessMirror.
Meanwhile, Malilong-Isberto said Razon was barking up the wrong tree when he accused the present NPF board of being the one behind the controversial Landing deal, referring to a NPF 2018 joint venture deal with Macau-based casino company Landing Corp.
“The NPF Board he was referring to were all fired by President Duterte in 2018. We are the replacement Board. That’s why we are very cautious in entering into a questionable deal,” she lamented.
“If the Board then got fired because of a questionable deal, then the same case could apply to the present Board,” she said.