PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte marked this year’s Labor Day celebration by inspecting the newly-constructed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital.
Built on a 1.5-hectare land donated by the Provincial Government of Pampanga, the 100-bed capacity hospital came into fruition through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) being its owner and manager; Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. (BCFI), which shouldered the cost of construction; Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), which funded the procurement of medical equipment; and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for the initial operationalization of the hospital’s polyclinic.
BCFI, the foundation established by Solaire Resort and Casino donated P521.80 million for the project while Pagcor released a P200 million grant for the purchase of modern equipment for the health facility. In addition, DoLE earmarked P250 million from its budget for the management of the hospital.
The OFW Hospital, whose construction commenced in January 2021, started its operations on May 2, 2022 as a polyclinic to transition into becoming fully operational by the end of June this year.
During his visit, Duterte lauded the efforts of the BCFI and all government agencies that have taken part in the project.
“Sa lahat ng nagtutulungan dito (To those who make this possible), your commitment to translate the blueprint of this project into a tangible reality is truly noteworthy. Please know that this is the government’s way of thanking our OFWs for their valuable contributions to our country’s socioeconomic progress and for their critical role in upholding the Filipino identity in the global community. This is why I express my full support to initiatives that promote the welfare and development of OFWs who are among our reliable partners in nation-building, especially during challenges, calamities and events such as the Covid-19 pandemic,” he stated.
Pagcor Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo, who also graced the event, said that the state-run gaming firm has been fully supportive of the government’s efforts to provide better health care programs for Filipinos.
Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/05/08/public-square/president-duterte-leads-inspection-of-first-hospital-for-ofws/1842742
