Razon to spend P250M for construction of mega vaccination hub

MANILA - Billionaire Enrique Razon on Thursday said his group intends to spend P250 million to build a mega vaccination site in Parañaque that could accommodate up to 10,000 people daily.

The quarter-billion pesos does not cover the cost for the training and salaries of medical personnel who would administer the jabs, Razon told ANC's Headstart.

"That's just the start up," he said.

"But that is not just a site... There is a whole infrastructure, training, investment and research, handling capability," he said.

Razon said recruited staff and subcontractors are now being trained on how to handle temperature-sensitive vaccines, like Moderna as the private sector expects to receive some 70,000 jabs from the pharmaceutical giant next month.

The billionaire reiterated that contrary to initial reports, no trees will be cut down to make way for the vaccination facility.

"There are no real trees there. It's talahib (tall grass) and ipil-ipil. These are weeds that grow everywhere," he said.

"If Nayong Pilipino planted one tree there, we wouldn't cut it down. We don't go around cutting trees," he said, noting that the structure was designed by Jun Palafox, an environmental planner.

A former Nayong Pilipino Foundation official earlier flagged the construction of the facility in the tourism hub, claiming the site has "a thriving urban forest that hosts a variety of urban wildlife and is the last remaining grassland in the reclaimed area of Parañaque." 

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The official, known as Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto, has resigned last week.

"I'm glad she did. She should resign. She is peddling lies all over social media. I don't know what her motives are," Razon said.

"It's very suspicious. We must have interrupted some ongoing deal," he said.

• Mega-vaccination facility to rise in 'empty reclaimed land', not a forest: ICTSI's Razon