Commemorating his last Labor Day as chief executive, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the groundbreaking ceremony Sunday of the Pampanga Provincial Hospital in Clark Freeport Zone that will make medical services more accessible to the population residing and working in the area.
Speaking during the event in Clark Global City, President Duterte congratulated the Pampanga provincial government and other agency partners who helped push the project, and urged them to remain steadfast in advancing their initiatives through holistic approach towards social development.
“The strategic location of this hospital will make our services and assistance programs more accessible to neighboring communities. It will likewise decongest other hospitals in the region, especially when a major public health crisis is coming in the future,” President Duterte said.
“As we [continue] to respond to various healthcare challenges, we remain resolute in maximizing our capacities and utilizing everything we have to save as many lives as we can.”
He lauded local government units (LGUs) for providing accessible health services and other basic needs that assisted the national government in realizing its goal of a healthier and more productive Filipino citizen.
Responsible and responsive leaders, he stressed, should know the areas where they can build and establish advantageous institutions even for the next generations.
He also pointed out that elected officials should harness and develop a more discerning character so they can govern with a firm resolve for genuine social change.
At the same time, the President has expressed optimism that the construction of the new Clark medical facility will move according to approved timelines, to ensure that it will serve the constituency at the soonest possible time.
The project started in 2018 after the Pampanga provincial government initially allocated P200 million for its construction, which was later on augmented by a P500-million Land Bank loan.
The Department of Health (DOH) provided P160 million for the hospital’s main building.
The Pampanga Provincial Hospital-Clark is the first government medical facility to be constructed inside the Clark Economic Zone, which will cater to the needs of 120,000 employees of the freeport zone.
Joining the President in the ceremony were former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) President and Chief Executive Officer PBGen Manuel Gaerlan (Ret.), and Pampanga local officials. PND
