Iloilo City Hospital nears realization

By Sean Rafio

Iloilo City will soon have its own hospital after then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law establishing the Iloilo City Hospital (ICH).

“The City Government of Iloilo shall manage the ICH, and prepare, in consultation with the Department of Health, a hospital development plan aligned with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan,” reads Republic Act 11891 that Duterte signed on June 29 and Malacañang released on Friday.

Through the new law, the Iloilo City Hospital will get P500 million for the capital outlay of the hospital, which will be included in the Department of Health’s budget under the 2023 General Appropriations Act.

Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne Baronda, who shepherded the law in the previous Congress, said RA 11891 will improve Iloilo’s capacity to provide affordable medical services to Ilonggos.

“This will surely complement the existing 9 licensed hospitals in Iloilo City. Aside from this, the creation of the Iloilo City Hospital opens a myriad of socio-economic benefits such as more #OBRA opportunities, and livelier business environment,” Baronda, principal author of the bill filed last November 2021, said.

“This achievement was made possible through the #HOPE and #GUGMA we have for the Ilonggos!… This is #H[ealth]OPE delivered anew. The gratitude and trust we receive fuel us to do more,” she added.

Baronda also thanked Mayor Jerry Treñas, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the Department of Health, and the Senate.

“I’m very grateful for the all-out support of Mayor Jerry Treñas, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and the Iloilo City Government,” she said.

“Much love to the Department of Health, Senate Health Committee chair Sen. Bong Go, incoming Senate President Sen. Migz Zubiri, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, House Majority Leader and incoming House Speaker Martin Romualdez, House Committee on Health, my colleagues in the House of Representatives, and everyone who helped this representation in seeing this initiative through. And last but not least, madamo gid nga salamat, Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte!” she added.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas had said the city government will finance the construction with a P500-million loan from the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines.

The Department of Health (DOH) gave the city government the go-signal to build and operate its own hospital to decongest private hospitals here.

The city government-run hospital will rise in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district as a 200-bed medical facility overlooking Esplanade 2.