President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order seeking to establish a dedicated hospital for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Executive Order No. 154 also creates the Inter-Agency Committee on the OFW Hospital (ICOH) which will be chaired by the Labor Secretary and Health Secretary.
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“We consider the establishment of this speciality hospital devoted to OFWs as a long overdue recognition of the valuable contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the economy and to the nation,” Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles said in a statement.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello previously said that the OFW Hospital and Diagnostic Center is envisioned to be a “legacy” project of the Duterte administration.
The hospital is also meant to benefit both OFWs and their dependents.
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The OFW hospital will be constructed in Barangay Sindalan, San Fernando, Pampanga. The construction however was delayed due to the impact of COVID-19.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation are funding the hospital.
