The University of the Philippines is opening its doors to the country's fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Diliman campus has made the Kalinga Center of the College of Human Kinetics Gym as a step-down isolation facility in support of the government's drive against the current health crisis.
"Nakita namin 'yong value and significance of serving the UP community," said UP College of Human Kinetics (CHK) dean Kiko Diaz.
The facility, which serves as the training venue for the UP Lady Maroons basketball team and the UP Pep Squad, has been converted to a quarantine facility. Housed are tents, mattresses, and beddings which will be utilized by patients who are recovering from the disease and those awaiting their test results. It's also equipped with shower and toilet amenities, water dispensers, washing machines, and hygiene kits.
Diaz said that it's the perfect opportunity for UP to share its facilities while the whole UP system goes online for their classes.
"Wala pa namang face-to-face classes, so we saw [it] fit that one of the facilities be transformed to an isolation facility," he said of the project, which is a tripartite initiative between the UP CHK, Maynilad, and UP ACTasONE, headed by alumni and former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor.
"For as long as puro remote learning sa UP, we will support this."
Palma Hall—known to students and faculty as the Arts and Sciences building, or simply AS—was also transformed into an isolation facility. It started its operations on April 22.
Main photo from SPIN.ph