Philippine Arena set to open as 'mega-quarantine' facility for COVID-19

MANILA - The Philippine Arena, the world's largest indoor arena, is set to be used as a "mega-quarantine" facility that will house possible carriers of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an official said Friday.

Religious sect Iglesia Ni Cristo, which owns the arena in Bulacan, has agreed to allow temporarily transform the facility to quarantine patients in Central Luzon, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Vince Dizon said during the Laging Handa briefing.

"Ang Philippine Arena ay magiging isang mega-quarantine facility sa Central Luzon," he said.

The government is currently constructing isolation rooms and sealed nurse stations in the Philippine Arena and at least a dozen other sports stadiums to ensure that the spread of the virus will not worsen inside these quarantine facilities, he said.

"The facilities are designed to make sure that patients are comfortable," said architect Daniel Lichauco, who led the design team.

"Lahat ng ginagawa namin has a nurse system na parang sa hospital
ibig sabihin you can turn on a light para alam ng mga nurses san pupunta," he said, noting that nurse stations are placed in an area separated by a decontamination system to ensure that health worker will also be protected from contracting the virus.

In Metro Manila, the Ninoy Aquino Stadium at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the Philippine International Convention Center, and the World Trade Center are being converted into "instant hospitals" to accommodate more coronavirus patients, Dizon said.

"Gusto po natin mapigilan ang pagdagsa ng mga ito sa mga ospital
para yung mga ospital po natin ay nakatutok sa mga kritikal at severe ang sakit at pangangailangan," Dizon said.

The New Clark City in Tarlac, which was used to as a quarantine area for repatriated seafarers, is also being disinfected so that more COVID-19 patients or possible carriers can occupy the facility.

The government is fast-tracking the creation of quarantine centers as officials expect a spike in the need of isolation rooms, as soon as the Philippines begins mass testing for the coronavirus in 2 weeks.

The disease has infected at least 2,633 patients in the Philippines, with 107 deaths.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

PBA: Ginebra holds off Meralco to win championship

Winning as many PBA championships as Tim Cone has, it’s difficult to say what makes one distinct from the others.

For the Barangay Ginebra coach, one look at the massive crowd at Philippine Arena and he knows immediately why the latest jewel in his untouchable legacy stands out.

“To be able to do it in front of these fans — even the Meralco fans — it's such a special thing to be able to do this,” Cone said.

LA Tenorio scored 26 points and Justin Brownlee added 23, as Barangay Ginebra held off Meralco 101-96 to win the Governors’ Cup championship in Bocaue, Bulacan on Friday.

Game 7 didn’t have the same dramatic ending as last year’s, but it wasn’t without its nervous moments.

Ginebra’s lead, which once stood as high as 20 points, shrunk to 4 with less than a minute to go after empty trips to the free-throw line and Meralco refusing to give up.

Given a chance to seal the win and atone for his teammates’ bungled charity attempts, Tenorio split his free throws to give Ginebra some breathing space.

In Meralco’s final possession, a 3-point attempt by Garvo Lanete bounced off the rim and into the hands of Kevin Ferrer to secure Ginebra’s 10th league title in front of the 54,086 spectators, the highest gate attendance in league history.

“Imagine, 54,000 people here? I never would’ve imagined this as a coach, having the opportunity to do this in front of so many people,” said Cone, who extended his own personal record to 20 PBA championships.

Ginebra was explosive right off the bat, going up 27-19 in the first quarter then pulling away 52-32 late in the second. At the end of the third quarter, Cone and his crew held an 81-64 lead.

The champs were still comfortably ahead 100-90 with 1:34 left in the game clock, until they started to brick their free throws.

Meralco took advantage of 4 straight misses, with Chris Newsome hitting a jumper and Jared Dillinger drilling a 3-pointer to make it 100-96 with 47 seconds left.

The Bolts looked ready to cut the deficit further after Tenorio front-rimmed a 3-point attempt, but Japeth Aguilar caught the rebound, forcing Meralco to foul to stop the clock. Tenorio then walked to the free-throw line where he went 1 out of 2.

Scottie Thompson contributed 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals, while Greg Slaughter chipped in 12 points and 2 blocks. Brownlee added 3 blocks and was 3 of 4 from downtown.

Allen Durham finished with 26 points, 24 rebounds and 9 assists to lead Meralco, getting sufficient help from his teammates.

Dillinger, in his best game of the series, added 20 points and 5 assists, while Cliff Hodge had 14 points and 7 rebounds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com
 

Katy Perry to perform in PH in May

MANILA – Filipino fans of Katy Perry should start saving up as the pop star announced that she will hold a concert in the country this May.

Perry will perform at the Philippine Arena on May 7 as part of her “The Prismatic World Tour,” right after her stop in Taiwan on April 28.

She will then hold shows in Indonesia on May 9 and in Thailand on May 14.


Tickets to Perry's Manila concert will go on sale at TicketWorld starting February 15.

Prices are at P15,900 for VIP, P13,500 for Patron, P10,500 for Lower Box Premium, P8,900 for Lower Box Regular, P6,000 for Upper Box A Premium, P4,000 for Upper Box A Regular, P3,000 for Upper Box B Premium, and P900 for Upper Box B Regular.

Perry is known for hit songs such as “Teenage Dream,” “California Gurls,” “Firework,” “Last Friday Night,” “Roar” and “Dark Horse.”

She last performed in Manila in 2012 as part of her “California Dreams” tour.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chris Brown willing to refund talent fee: report

MANILA – R&B star Chris Brown is willing to “refund his talent fee” for failing to perform at the Philippine Arena for the New Year’s Eve countdown, according to a report.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported over the weekend that Brown initially wanted to reschedule his December 31 gig at the Philippine Arena but concert producer, Maligaya Development Corp. (MDC), is unlikely to agree with the new setup.

Citing Mike Pio Roda, the agent who negotiated the singer’s contract, the report said Brown is open to returning his talent fee.

It also noted that Brown was paid close to $1 million – or around P44 million – to perform at the Philippine Arena, according to a confidential source of the newspaper.

Brown’s camp earlier told MDC that the singer lost his passport a few hours before his supposed flight to Manila.

Despite this, the show went on at the Philippine Arena on New Year’s Eve, with performances from various local artists.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com