ICTSI-backed vax centers administer 665,000 Moderna doses

More than 665,000 doses of Moderna, including second booster and pediatric doses, have been administered to residents of National Capital Region and nearby provinces through the Solaire-ICTSI Vaccination Centers (SIVC) since the vaccine brand’s rollout in the country in June last year.

Located in Solaire Resort & Casino and the nearby Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) property in Parañaque, the SIVCs were the first drive-through vaccination facilities in the country. Both were strategically designed to encourage vaccinee turnout through a safe and efficient process with each process – from registration to vaccination – taking only about 20 minutes with the aid of technology, private volunteers and trained medical personnel.

ICTSI built the PhP250 million SIVC-NPF mega vaccination hub, complete with all the vaccine support facilities and logistics, at no cost to the Philippine government. It was subsequently turned over to the Parañaque local government, with ICTSI continuing to assist in the daily operations until July 27 – the facility’s final day of operation.

The SIVCs are part of the Razon Group’s more than PhP1.5 billion contribution to the national pandemic mitigation efforts. ICTSI also facilitated the private sector’s participation in the tripartite deal that allowed the Philippines to secure 20 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and arranged the logistics of bringing the vaccines into the country.

“ICTSI, along with the entire Razon Group, remains firmly committed to helping our country recover from the COVID crisis. As the economy reopens, we are now seeing the results of our concerted effort to get as many people vaccinated and boosted,” said Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI executive vice president.

Vaccination milestone for global workforce reached 

ICTSI continues to implement strict health protocols to prevent outbreaks in its terminals worldwide despite the significant improvement in the COVID situation. In Manila, employees still undergo free, weekly antigen tests to ensure workplaces remain COVID-free.

The company has so far vaccinated 93 percent of its 11,000-strong global manpower. As of June, 10,400 employees have completed their primary doses while 6,900 have taken their booster shots.

“We owe it to our employees for supporting our global vaccination campaign and taking responsibility in safeguarding their coworkers, families and communities. Their welfare is and will always be our priority. While we are happy with the results of our vaccination program, we continue to encourage everyone to take their booster shots for increased protection against COVID,” explained Mr. Gonzalez.

Technology driven innovations to sustain pandemic gains

Aside from safeguarding employees against COVID-19, ICTSI turned to technology to keep its terminals running during the height of the pandemic. The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) completed its full transition to online payment to enable stakeholders to transact without going to the terminal. Similar online payment systems are also scheduled for roll out this year at NorthPort, Subic Bay International Terminals and Mindanao Container Terminal to generate the same level of efficiency across these business units.

ICTSI also partnered with the largest telecommunications company in the country last year for the 5G rollout at MICT. The technology enables rubber-tired gantries to weigh containers using spreader load cells, effectively shortening the truck drivers’ stay inside the terminal as they no longer need to queue to use the terminal’s weigh bridges. 5G will also serve as a cornerstone for new projects in the pipeline that are designed to make processes at MICT safer and more efficient.

“These investments allowed us to crisis-proof the terminal and it eventually paid off during the pandemic. We will continue to invest in technology to shield our terminals from future disruptions and generate efficiencies across our operations worldwide,” concluded Mr. Gonzalez.

Manned by volunteers and trained medical personnel, the drive-through vaccination facility at the SIVC-NPF was designed to accommodate up to 15,000 vaccinees daily