CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The country’s 1st-ever Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Hospital located at the PEO Compound, Brgy. Sindalan this city was finally inaugurated on June 28, and is now ready to admit in-patients after being granted a license to operate by the Department of Health (DOH).
Leading the ceremonies were Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Vice Governor Lilia Pineda on behalf of Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda.
They were assisted by DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, Donato Almeda of Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. (BCFI), Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac, and incoming Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople.
The 100-bed secondary government hospital is solely intended to provide the highest quality of medical care and health services to OFWs and their families.
Starting this July, 30 beds will be opened in the hospital. For the meantime, it will function as an infirmary, treating and serving different illnesses and minor surgeries in partnership with Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) and Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Vice Governor Pineda, meanwhile, shared that not long ago, she and Governor Delta had envisioned a project that would prioritize the welfare of the OFWs in recognition of their vital contribution to the country’s economy.
She never thought that a dream project – which only started with a simple exchange of pleasantries between Secretary Bello and business tycoon Enrique Razon – would come into reality.
“Salamat po, Presidente Duterte. Talagang ramdam natin na mahal niya talaga ang mga Kapampangan. Kung pagsasamahin po natin ang lahat, nasa billions po ang ibinigay na proyekto ng Presidente sa Pampanga,” she shared.
The Vice Governor also guaranteed that she and Governor Delta will seek support from other governors in Central Luzon to sustain the funding of the hospital to support more OFWs.
“Hindi lang po ang province of Pampanga ang magsusuporta rito sa OFW Hospital. Kakausapin po namin ni Governor Delta ang mga gobernador sa ibang lalawigan na may maraming OFW. Kailangan po namin maglagak ng pondo rito pandagdag sa pondong ibinibigay ng national government para matulungan ang ating mga OFW,” she said.
Officials said that the construction of the hospital is considered to be one of the greatest legacies of the Duterte administration.
“Today, we are witnessing the inauguration of the OFW hospital which will become one of the legacies of the Duterte administration that would guarantee quality health care to modern-day heroes, our OFWs,” Senator Bong Go said in a video message.
The construction of the hospital, which began in 2021, was made possible through the public and private partnership made among DOLE, the Provincial Government of Pampanga, BCFI, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
It was inspected by President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2022.
The Provincial Government of Pampanga donated the 1.5-hectare land where the hospital was built. BCFI gave P500million for the construction of the hospital while PAGCOR allocated P200 million for the equipment.
