Building a Better Future
Despite a shortage of materials, suppliers and equipment, Loyd Villanueva and the MDC team of engineers were able to convert the World Trade Center into a quarantine facility ahead of schedule
Words by MARGA CONSTANTINO
Loyd Villanueva, 31, shuts the door of the service vehicle behind him. He and his fellow engineers are finally back at their living quarters in Ayala North Exchange after another long day at the World Trade Center (WTC). Just a few more days, he thinks. The team had less than two weeks to finish the construction of 9,700 square meters of space at WTC, and they were nearing completion. Loyd, an Electro-Mechanical Engineer from the Makati Development Corporation (MDC), helps the team prepare dinner, and reflects on the week they had. He realizes how miraculous it is that they are ending ahead of schedule.
Expressing their love for country
The pandemic did not demand anything different from Loyd's usual job; it just made it harder. The Ayala team that worked on the WTC had neither time nor their usual contractors and suppliers, but that did not stop the team from meeting the challenge. Loyd and the rest of the team double-hatted and went beyond their usual scopes to meet their deadline, following DOH guidelines to construct a healthcare facility in an exhibition space that was not meant to host semi-permanent fixtures.
Loyd says the biggest challenge was finding materials and equipment during the lockdown. “Wala kaming makuhang supplier, kung saan-saan kami naghanap. Yung mga partner namin nagtulung-tulungan sa pag-source out ng mga materials tsaka ng mga gagamitin sa World Trade. Halos wala kaming makuhang contractor. Kaming mga engineer [at] architect nagtutulungan din para mapabilis matapos yung project kasi kailangan na.”
#AyalaCitizen Diary: Speed never came at the cost of safety. Loyd and his fellow engineers always wore face masks and face shields at every site inspection.
Loyd, a Registered Master Electrician, helped wire Manila Water’s 37 shower facilities, installed CCTVs, and adjusted electrical wiring to ensure proper air circulation in the facility. Despite the shortage in materials, Loyd was able to innovate Nurse Indicator Lights in 502 cubicles that would allow confined patients to call medical staff when they needed assistance.
Loyd and the team turned over the completed facility, dubbed the WTC: We Heal As One Center, ahead of schedule, a feat driven by their desire to help..
Bayanihan. Several Ayala companies joined forces to turn WTC into a mega-quarantine facility (photographed here just days before the project was completed). Globe shouldered a huge chunk of production costs and provided Wi-Fi, Manila Water built showers, and AC Energy subsidized electricity and provided beds.
A surplus of inspiration
Loyd, who continues to live in Ayala North Exchange to participate in MDC’s construction projects, was inspired by the “big bosses” Jowell San Jose and Darwin Salipsip, both high-ranking engineers in MDC. He never thought that he would ever had a chance to work with them. He was pleasantly surprised by how down-to-earth they all were, and how they willingly took on the challenging task despite the many lockdown restrictions.
The A-Team. Loyd enjoyed the opportunity to work with some of MDC’s top engineers, including Jowell San Jose (left).
Moreover, Loyd, who also helped convert the Red Cross headquarters into a COVID-19 facility, continues to be inspired by other frontliners, and their genuine desire to help afflicted Filipinos.
“Na-inspire din ako sa mga frontliner natin na nagsa-sacrifice ng buhay nila para sa bansa natin. Yun din siguro yung naging motivation ko. Gusto ko din maging katulad nila… Inisip ko rin na para yan sa mga tao na matutulungan namin during the time of crisis.”
A father’s optimism
Throughout these ordeals, Loyd thinks more often of his wife and two-year-old daughter who are back home in Laguna. Loyd has not seen them in months.
His wife is worried about him because some of the people he worked with tested positive for COVID-19. However, he’s confident in the steps that the company has taken to protect everyone in lockdown, and chooses to stay in Ayala North Exchange for fear of being a carrier.
Rest for the weary. At the end of a tiring day, Loyd retreats to his quarters in Ayala North, where the MDC crew have been sheltered since they worked on the Red Cross conversion at the onset of the pandemic.
“Kaya since lockdown hindi pa ako nakakauwi. Mahirap pala mag-isa, tapos malayo ka sa family mo.”
Loyd, despite his hardships, is determined not to waste this opportunity to succeed as an engineer. As he continues to build structures with MDC, he reminds himself of his ultimate goal: to build a brighter future and a bigger family. #
POSTED AUGUST 20, 2020
