CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The construction of the country’s first dedicated hospital and diagnostic center for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) has finally started following a brief ceremony here on Tuesday.

Presidential aide and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, who was the guest of honor, led the capsule laying ceremony for the P500 million OFW Hospital and Diagnostic Center that will be constructed on a 2-hectare lot at the Provincial Engineering Office Compound in Barangay Sindalan here.

The lot space for the facility was donated by the provincial government.

The senator was welcomed by Gov. Dennis “Delta” G. Pineda and Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay” G. Pineda, who were joined by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman Andrea Domingo, as well as Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson, DMCI President and Chief Operating Officer Jorge Consunji and top executives of the Departments of Health (DOH), and of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the region

Gov. Pineda expressed his profound gratitude to the DOH, DOLE, OWWA, Pagcor and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation that will fund the construction of the hospital.

“Today we will witness the start of this project,” the governor said in Filipino as he acknowledged Consunji of DMCI and pointed to heavy equipment parked in the area ready for work.

It can be recalled that former House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the hospital’s groundbreaking on Labor Day last year with then-Gov. Lilia G. Pineda.

The construction of the P500 million hospital will be also shouldered by businessman Enrique Anselmo Klar Razon Jr. of Bloomberry, while Pagcor will provide hospital equipment worth P200-million with the full support from DOLE, OWWA, DOH and Philippine Health and Insurance Corp.

The hospital will have a 100-bed capacity, equipped with dialysis and cancer centers, and targeted for completion in 2021.

The hospital aims to respond to the medical needs of OFWs and their immediate families for free, Go said.

Image Credits: Ashley Manabat