New hospital to Give Free Medical Services to OFWs and their Dependents

On May 1, Speaker and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo started the ceremony of the start of the construction of a hospital in Pampanga. The land which will be used in the construction of the hospital is two-hectares and it is located at Barangay Sindalan, San Fernando City.



The said land was a donation by the provincial government of Pampanga. It is estimated that the project will be finished in eighteen months to two years. It will be built especially to cater to the medical needs of OFWs and their families.

The hospital will also provide them subsidy programs of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). According to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the cost of establishing the hospital will be ₱550 million were in ₱150 million was donated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). The said amount will be solely used for the acquisition and installation of the facilities for the hospital.

The medical services which will be offered to OFWs and their families will be free of charge. Inclusive of these services are securing of medical certificates, expenses for laboratory examinations, and other basic requirements for the OFWs’ overseas deployment.



Bello expressed that the hospital will be built to honor and recognize the valuable contribution of the OFWs as modern-day heroes to the growth of the Philippine economy. He also said that the hospital will serve as one of the legacies that the current president can leave behind to the modern day heroes.

According to OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac, memorandum of understandings among government agencies and other stakeholders which will be involved with the project are being finalized.

Visayas and Mindanao will also have a hospital built especially for OFWs. Once completed, the hospital will be in the care of the Department of Health.