Sanctuary
Allaying fears about the virus, Allan Ajero, operations manager of FamilyDoc, worked on creating a beautiful safe space for those waiting to hear of test results
Words by RHYS BUCCAT
Allan Ajero, 33, was distracted. Even if he had spent the last two weeks thinking of almost nothing else but the Evoliving Center at Nuvali, seeing it for the first time since the Luzon-wide lockdown took his breath away.
Before approaching the imposing glass clad center, which was being converted to a safe space for Ayala Group’s employees needing to self-isolate, he paused to look at the four-hectare lake across it. Shimmering in the sunlight, it offered the deep serenity he had been seeking. He became certain this view was going to heal the twin sister of the coronavirus—anxiety.
A registered nurse who now oversees the day-to-day operations of FamilyDOC’s corporate clinics, Allan had his ears constantly on employee well-being. “The panic and fear were there,” he said, describing the first few weeks of March 2020. “What we kept advising the HR partners was that the first thing we needed to address was not the virus but the fear [people had].” From the get-go, along with the rest of the AC Health leadership, he focused his efforts on reassuring employees that the Ayala group was taking strategic measures to protect them.
Allan’s ocular visit to Laguna, in fact, was to be the culmination of a fast-track effort to create a lodging facility for Ayala employees who may have gotten positive results from rapid testing and are awaiting confirmatory test results, or are confirmed but asymptomatic carriers who would like to protect family and colleagues by isolating.
Because he is a veteran at setting up FamilyDOC clinics, Allan was an easy pick to spearhead the team tasked to convert the Evoliving showroom designed by Leandro V. Locsin Partners into a blend of hotel and healthcare facility.
Neighborhood watch. A COVID-19 triage tent outside one of 62 FamilyDOC clinics in Metro Manila and South Luzon stayed open through the lockdown.
From three months to three weeks
Evoliving has a naturally soothing environment ideal for an employee to spend time alone. Surrounding the center and the man-made lake are 52,000 trees and vast green fields. The building itself has big glass windows that allows natural light to stream in. However, it needed proper facilities and staffing to serve its new purpose in the COVID-19 crisis.
Welcome. The team eagerly anticipate the arrival of guests at Ayala Group Employee Care Center in Evoliving, Nuvali.
Until his first visit, Allan worked from home to organize a dedicated team who worked closely with AC Health to hire clinicians, procure necessary equipment, and finalize the floor plans. The entire process, which normally takes up to three months, was shortened to three weeks. “This is the fastest deployment that we had in terms of the corporate set up,” Allan revealed, adding that he is proud of the hardworking team that made it possible.
Welcome home
Evoliving was officially named as the Ayala Group Employee Care Center (AGECC). But before opening its doors to what Allan prefers to call “guests”, he himself stayed there for two days to ensure that everything was in place and everyone would have the most comfortable and comforting experience.
“One of my requirements before I open a site is that I need to visit it first. I need to be comfortable to open it to the public,” he said.
#AyalaCitizen Diary: On his visit, Allan makes sure the AGECC team follow the highest safety protocols as they look after the comfort and ease of guests.
While AGECC follows industry standards and practices for typical quarantine facilities, its role isn’t to isolate people, but to support them.
Employees stay at AGECC for free and are given free meals and vitamins and top-notch care from trained clinicians. They have an activity area where they can exercise, meditate, breathe in fresh air, or simply have some “me time.”
The view. The surroundings of the AGECC, captured through a phone snap by Allan.
“The role of the Ayala Group Employee Care Center isn’t to isolate people, but to support them”
Having completed the Evoliving project, Allan feels he has two important missions left to complete during the community quarantine period. The first is to keep looking for ways to address the health requirements of Ayala employees. The second? Well, he wants to make up for lost time. Before the lockdown, his job often took him away from home on out of town trips to visit FamilyDoc project sites. Now that he’s home, he plans to spend his time “building a family with his wife.” #
PUBLISHED ON JULY 13, 2020
