PHL gov’t thanks Iglesia Ni Cristo for allowing use of PHL Arena, Ciudad de Victoria for COVID-19 patients, frontliners

Date Posted: April 5, 2020

(Eagle News) – The Philippine government on Saturday, April 4, thanked the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) Executive Minister for allowing the use of the whole Ciudad de Victoria complex in Bulacan to house coronavirus patients as well as the frontliners, including the healthcare workers who will be treating them.

In a virtual presser, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles thanked INC Executive Minister Brother Eduardo Manalo after the Church Of Christ allowed not just the use of the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena which is known as the largest mixed-use indoor theater in the world, but also the facilities and grounds of the entire Ciudad de Victoria estate.

“Yesterday, we received more positive news when we learned that our brothers from the Iglesia Ni Cristo have agreed to let the government use the whole Ciudad de Victoria estate, not just the Philippine Arena itself but the entire estate to isolate and quarantine COVID-19 cases,” Nograles said.

The government is also receiving offers from other private facilities, while noting with sadness that some had rejected government’s requests to house COVID-19 cases.

“Mga kababayan, palagi naming sinasabi na we are all in this together,” Nograles said.

“We should not let fear bring out the worst in us,” he appealed after receiving reports of discrimination, harassment, and attacks being experienced by health workers who have been treating COVID-19 patients, and even by suspected COVID-19 cases.

“Hindi po ito panahon para talikuran ang kapwa. Ito ang panahon ng pagmamalasakit, pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa,” Nograles said.

“Lahat tayo kasama dito. Together, we can beat COVID-19, and altogether we heal as one,” he added. — Courtesy of Eagle News Service