In support of the massive COVID-19 immunization program of the group of multi-industry companies chaired by business leader Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT Inc.’s corporate business unit PLDT Enterprise and its major partner Cisco Philippines deployed technologies for MVP Group’s pilot mega vaccination sites in NCR+.
Facilities currently administering vaccinations in NCR+ for the MVP Group are Meralco Compound in Pasig, PLDT Sta. Ana in Manila, and Maynilad Balara Compound in Quezon City. Among those to be activated soon include Smart Tower in Makati and NLEX Sta Rita in Bulacan. Each site, to be manned mainly by frontliners from the Group’s own Metro Pacific Hospitals Holdings, is expected to vaccinate an average of 700 and up to 1,350 individuals per day.
Anchored on its robust business solutions portfolio, PLDT Enterprise deployed reliable internet connectivity across all the vaccination sites through BEYOND FIBER and PLDT Branch-In-A-Box, which provides capabilities such as Wifi 6, SD-WAN, switches and smart camera surveillance systems.
For its part, Cisco Philippines donated Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for biomedical refrigerators in selected pilot vaccination locations to ensure the safe storage of vaccines procured by the MVP Group. This included cloud-managed indoor temperature and humidity sensors, which provides temperature and humidity data in real time so that the Vaccine Task Force can monitor critical vaccine inventory and prevent heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems malfunctions.
Also included are water leak detection sensors and indoor open/close sensors, to ensure safe operating conditions round the clock and detection of possible intrusions. All these sensors work seamlessly with PLDT’s Branch-In-A-Box and BEYOND FIBER solutions, and are fully integrated on a single, cloud-managed platform.
The Group previously announced that a cross-functional MVP Group Vaccine Task Force ordered vaccines from Moderna and Astra Zeneca enough for more than 300,000 nationwide employees, dependents and household members, and the Group’s extended workforce, covering companies such as PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, as well as Metro Pacific Investments Corporation and its operating companies Meralco, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Tollways, Metro Pacific Hospitals’ 18 healthcare facilities nationwide, Light Rail Manila Corp., MetroPac Movers, and more.
“It is our priority to safeguard the welfare and well-being of our employees especially during this time. And we at PLDT Enterprise gladly extend our unbreakable commitment and support to the MVP group’s vaccination initiatives by providing reliable connectivity and digital solutions in our mega vaccination locations,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.
“Technology can tackle social and community issues, but we know our responsibilities don’t end with just technology. It’s now about making the world we envision possible. We are proud to partner with PLDT Enterprise to utilize the power of technology and ensure that the employees of the MVP Group are vaccinated in a safe environment. The breadth of our Cisco portfolio along with the capabilities of our partner ecosystem allow us to be the bridge between technology and tangible business outcomes, which ultimately ties in with our purpose, which is to power an inclusive future for all,” said Karrie Ilagan, Managing Director, Cisco Philippines.
For areas outside NCR+, the conglomerate’s Vaccine Task Force is looking at a network of over 30 locations comprised of regional Metro Pacific Hospitals, other Group-wide facilities, and selected malls across the country.
The MVP Group “We Got Your Vac” Vaccination Program reinforces the conglomerate’s support for the government’s national vaccination rollout. Earlier this year, the Group helped ramp up LGU vaccinations by offering the expertise and available capacity of its largest NCR Metro Pacific Hospitals, where up to 98% of frontliners were vaccinated as early as March 2021.
The Group also showed solidarity with the national government and other members of the private sector with the ceremonial start of the vaccination rollout for the A4 sector last month. This was in partnership with the National Task Force Against COVID-19, Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace and Treat), and the Department of Health (DOH).
