MANILA, Philippines – Fourth District Representative Dr. Anna Bondoc Sagum on Wednesday, July 10, filed her first House Bill seeking to increase the bed capacity of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBL) from 1,000 to 1,500 beds.
The expansion will rise in the municipality of Sto. Tomas, Pampanga – a part of the Fourth District – on land donated by Mayor John Sambo and the local government unit (LGU) of Sto. Tomas.
She emphasized the need for the new site, citing limited buildable space at JBL’s current location in San Fernando City.
“This expansion is not just an upgrade – it’s a lifeline for more patients in need, and it’s happening right in our district,” she said.
Expansion history
The JBL Hospital has gone through multiple phases of expansion over the years.
In 2012, Cong.Bondoc authored Republic Act 10355, which increased the hospital’s bed capacity from 250 to 500.
In 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, JBL was further expanded to 1,000 beds through Republic Act 11359, principally authored by Pampanga 4th District Representative Juan Pablo “Rimpy” Bondoc.
In 2023, Sto. Tomas also became the site of the country’s first Bagong Pilipinas Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Center, a joint project of Cong. Bondoc and Mayor Sambo.
This year, the JBL Cancer Center also broke ground in Sto. Tomas. The facility is currently under construction, with its official groundbreaking scheduled for this month.
‘A proud moment’
She expressed gratitude for the support of national and local stakeholders, including Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, JBL Medical Center Director Dr. Monseratt Chichioco, Regional Director Dr. Corazon Flores, and Mayor John Sambo.
“We are looking forward to the growth of JBL Hospital – and the best part is, the expansion is happening in our own district,” Bondoc said.