CLARK FREEPORT— Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President-CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan assured Pampanga Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda that the state-owned firm supports the health services and programs of the Provincial Government.
In a recent meeting, Gaerlan told Pineda that CDC is fully committed to support the initiatives of the Capitol to improve on the health projects such as the proposed provincial hospital that will be put up inside the Clark Freeport.
“We will continue enhancing medical equipment and I’m sure the Board of Directors of CDC would support the management team of the province of Pampanga,” Gaerlan told Pineda in their recent meeting.
Recently, CDC has approved the donation of P4 million-worth portable x-ray machine to be installed at the Provincial Pulmonary Center of the Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Provincial Hospital (DPMMPH) to cater to the health needs of Pampanga residents, CDC employees, locators, and workers.
The equipment, which is key to treatment of COVID cases, will be used by those who cannot afford the cost of a private hospital during this time of pandemic.
Also last year, CDC and the Provincial Government of Pampanga signed a deed of usufruct for the use of land as site of DPMMPH annex here.
Under the deal, the CDC Board of Directors approved the use of a 5,000-square-meter property in the Freeport for 25 years.
This will provide basic and affordable health services mostly, but not limited to, Clark workers as most of these workers reside in Pampanga.
“This is for the Clark workers in Pampanga since the majority of these workers are coming from Pampanga,” Gaerlan said during an interview.
On the part of Pampanga, the Provincial Capitol has set aside an initial P100 million for the said project.
For his part, the Mabalacat City government pledged P30 million per year for five years for the provincial hospital project annex in Clark.
During the height of the pandemic, CDC, along with the Provincial Government of Pampanga and Tarlac, including the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat also formed a Joint Management Task Force for COVID-19 headed by Pineda.
The task force aims to combat COVID-19 by creating systematic programs and procedures focused on isolating, testing, and treating suspected and confirmed cases in the province.
The partnership between CDC and LGUs has intensified the mitigation of COVID cases as well as the management of an excellent health care system here.