ILOILO City – Former President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11891, creating the Iloilo City Hospital, before he stepped down from office on June 30.
RA 11891, otherwise known as “An Act Establishing In The City Of Iloilo, Province Of Iloilo, A City Hospital to be known as the Iloilo City Hospital And Appropriating Funds Therefor,” provides that the city hospital will be under the direct supervision of the Iloilo City government.
Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda, who authored the bill in the House of Representatives, expressed elation over this development.
“I’m over the moon with its passage! Officially Republic Act (RA) 11891, this piece of legislation will greatly improve our capacity to provide affordable and quality #HEALTH and medical services to the Ilonggos and even our neighboring provinces,” said Baronda.
She noted that the city-owned hospital will surely complement the existing licensed hospitals in Iloilo City.
Baronda also stressed that the creation of the Iloilo City Hospital opens a myriad of socio-economic benefits such as more job opportunities and livelier business environment.
“The hospital development plan will be the foundation for any future increases in bed capacity, healthcare facilities, service capability, and human resource complement,” the law stated.
Baronda thanked those who supported the new law including Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Iloilo City government, Department of Health (DOH), 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, her colleagues in the House of Representatives, and former President Duterte.
Treñas, for his part, is also very grateful for the passage of the law.
“It will allow national government assistance to our hospital,” he said.
Early this year, the DOH gave the city government the go-signal to build and operate its own hospital to decongest private hospitals here.
The proposed city government-run hospital to rise in Barangay San Pedro in Molo district is being envisioned as a 200-bed medical facility overlooking Esplanade 2.
Treñas earlier said the city government will finance the construction with a P500-million loan from the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines.
Zubiri also committed an additional P200 million for the proposed Medical Arts Building (doctors’ clinic) for the city hospital.
“This is one of our priorities to bring a much improved public healthcare service to the Ilonggos,” said Treñas.
There are currently eight private hospitals in the city – Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center, Iloilo Mission Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo, Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital, The Medical City, AMOSUP Seamen’s Hospital, Qualimed, and Medicus Medical Center.
Iloilo City also hosts two public hospitals – the Western Visayas Medical Center and West Visayas State University Medical Center.
These 10 hospitals not only serve residents of Iloilo City but also patients from other provinces in Panay Island and nearby Guimaras Island.
When completed and becomes fully operational, the proposed city government-run hospital is expected to decongest hospitals in the city./PN
