An Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) hospital will soon rise in Pampanga province to cater to their medical needs and their families.
This came after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) through the private-public partnership of the Provincial Government, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, Inc. was signed on Wednesday at Kingsborough International Convention Center, here.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said, “Ito ay pagkilala sa kanilang kabayanihan dahil malaking tulong sila sa ating ekonomiya.”
To kickstart the construction of the first ever OFW hospital in the country, the provincial government will enter into a perpetual usufruct on a 1.5-hectare land at the Provincial Engineer’s Office, Brgy. Sindalan, this city.
“Dahil po sa pakikipag-tulungan natin sa iba-ibang ahensya, lalo na po sa Bloomberry, maisasakatuparan na po natin ang pagpapagawa ng hospital para sa mga kababayan nating OFW,” Governor Delta shared.
Also, the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of Solaire, pledged Php 500 million for the construction of the hospital.
According to Bloomberry Executive Director Filipina Laurena, “When we received this proposal to sponsor the first ever OFW hospital in the country, it didn’t entail a lot of discussion in our board.”
The OFW hospital was the brainchild of then Governor – now Vice Governor – Lilia ‘Nanay’ Pineda towards the end of her last term as the provincial governor.
To further improve the healthcare services in the soon-to-rise hospital, she said PAGCOR, headed by Director Andrea Domingo, will donate Php 200 million worth of hospital equipment.
Furthermore, a dialysis and cancer centers will be built in a 2, 000-square meter lot adjacent to the OFW hospital.