Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the first hospital for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would be have state-of-the-art equipments and facilities.
Bello said the acquisition and construction of the DOLE-OFW Hospital and Diagnostics Center, which will soon rise in San Fernando, Pampanga, will be financed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. of business tycoon Enrique Razon, according to media reports.
Out of the P550 million budget for the hospital, P150 million would come from PAGCOR’s donations which will be used for the purchase of modern equipment, while the remaining P400 million will be from Bloomberry for the construction of the hospital building.
Bello spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony for the project which was held on Labor Day at a two-hectare property in Barangay Sindalan.
The hospital is expected to be completed in 18 months. Once operational, it will be managed by the Department of Health.
“This hospital is in recognition of the valuable contribution of our modern-day heroes, the overseas Filipino workers, in the growth of our economy. This will serve as among the legacies that President [Rodrigo] Duterte can leave behind for our OFWs,” Bello said.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator (OWWA) Hans Leo Cacdac, meanwhile, said a memorandum of understanding among concerned government agencies and other stakeholders for the construction and operation of the hospital was being finalized.
