CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The first-ever Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital, which was inspected by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on May 1, is expected to be fully operational by the end of June.
President Duterte expressed his full support to the initiatives that promote the welfare and development of OFWs, as he led the inspection of the hospital currently undergoing construction in this city.
The site inspection coincided with the Labor Day celebration in the country.
“They [OFWs] are among our reliable partners in nation-building, especially during challenges, calamities, and events like the Covid-19 pandemic. Their unwavering dedication, perseverance, as well as their sacrifices to provide for their families make them worthy to be called mga ‘bagong Pilipino’,” he said.
In his message, he also recognized the efforts of all government agencies and the private sectors in completing the said facility.
“Your commitment to translate the blueprint of this project into a tangible reality is truly noteworthy. This is the government’s way of thanking our OFWs for their valuable contribution for our country’s socio-economic progress, and for their critical role in according the Filipino identity in the global community,” Duterte said.
He also urged the management staff and various healthcare professionals who will work in the facility to perform their duty with utmost excellence, responsibility, and compassion.
“Always keep in mind that the care and services that you provide to your patients will ultimately trickle down to the well-being of our citizenry,” he stressed.
For his part, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the facility is a monumental offering for the OFWs who served as the nation’s modern-day heroes.
Aside from technical assistance, Duque said the Department of Health (DOH) will provide support to fund the infrastructure and procure equipment under its Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
In partnership with the Health Facilities Service Regulation Bureau, DOH will ensure that the hospital complies with standards for service quality; while the Health Facilities Development Bureau will guide the hospital to ensure that its services remain appropriate o the basic needs of OFWs in accordance with the Philippine Health Facilities Development Plan.
Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, being a proponent of the project, said this is truly a Duterte legacy which is dedicated to the country’s unsung heroes to provide them with well-deserved medical and diagnostic services.
The OFW Hospital is a seven-story, 100-bed secondary level government hospital, intended to provide medical care and health services to OFWs and the immediate members of their family. It also aims to provide comprehensive and total health care services to all migrant workers including Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) contributors, whether active or non- active and their qualified legal dependents. It will also conduct medical examinations to ensure the physical and mental capability of would-be overseas contract workers duly covered by an approved job order; and will serve as primary referral hospital for repatriated OFWs in need of medical services and assistance.
The 1.5-hectare land where the hospital is constructed, was donated by the Provincial Government of Pampanga, and has a market value of P500 million.
Other partners for the project include the Department of Labor and Employment being its owner and manager which allocated P250 million under its 2022 General Appropriations Act Tier 2 budget; the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation which donated P521.8 million for the cost of construction; Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation which allocated P200 million for funding the procurement of medical equipment; and the UP-Philippine General Hospital which will provide technical assistance for the initial operationalization of the hospital’s polyclinic.
