A hotel in Olongapo City that is run by a Catholic school opened its doors to accommodate and care for new coronavirus disease patients.
The Columban College, a diocesan school under the Diocese of Iba, partnered with the city and provincial governments for the use of its hotel to house people infected with Covid-19.
Father Raymann Catindig, the school’s president, said the Columban College Hotel will be used as Covid-19 isolation facility for asymptomatic patients.
Originally used for simulations for students of Hotel and Restaurant Management courses, the five-storey building has 14 rooms that can accommodate about 60 patients.
Father Catindig said the diocese decided to open the building because the health crisis calls for an “emergence of caring, compassion, and love”.
“As the Church of Christ that cares for its people, we are called to open our hearts in these troubled times and be more caring for others, especially those affected by the pandemic,” said the priest.
The diocese has acknowledged the move as a “means for mutual participation between the Church and the government in a time of crisis.”
“The College will not only welcome Catholics but will be open to patients belonging to all religions as part of the Church’s social responsibility and in the spirit of fraternity,” said Father Catindig.
The Catholic Church in the Philippines marks 2020 as the Year of Ecumenism, Inter-religious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples.
