Families in Central Luzon whose children need specialized medical care will soon have an option closer to home as the Jose B. Lingad (JBL) Children’s Medical Center in this free port begins accepting patients on August 1.
The 120-bed hospital, inaugurated on Friday by President Marcos, is the first facility to open under the Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center project.
Designed to serve patients from Regions I, II and III, as well as nearby provinces, the center forms part of the government’s effort to expand specialized healthcare beyond Metro Manila.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the hospital is equipped with pediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care units, operating rooms, outpatient clinics, laboratory and radiology services, and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic technology intended to support the evaluation of complex pediatric conditions.
DOH will oversee hospital operations.
‘In 2020, only half of Filipinos could access primary healthcare within 30 minutes,’ Marcos said during the inauguration.
The President said the government is establishing regional specialty hospitals to address longstanding gaps in healthcare access.
Marcos said the hospital will continue implementing the government’s Zero Balance Billing program for eligible patients and is scheduled to begin operations next week.
The JBL Children’s Medical Center is the first regional specialty hospital established under Republic Act 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which seeks to expand access to specialized healthcare through regional medical centers across the country.
Clark Development Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes Devanadera said the children’s hospital is the first component of the larger Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center, which is planned to include specialty facilities for cardiovascular, cancer and other advanced medical services.
‘Today we are not just inaugurating a project, we are inaugurating a legacy project. It is a generational legacy project because this was part of then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’ plan,’ Devanadera said.
CDC donated the nearly five-hectare property where the medical complex now stands and plans to build a medical arts building to support the campus, she said. The project was financed through a partnership between the government and private sector.
Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Incorporated provided P1 billion in seed funding for construction and another P50 million for a generator set, while the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) allocated P360 million for the project.
Bloomberry Resorts Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Office Enrique Razon Jr. said the company viewed the hospital as a public investment rather than a commercial undertaking. ‘This is not a business venture; it is a contribution to a nation’s development and, more importantly, a worthwhile investment in the future,’ Razon said.
The children’s hospital is expected to become the first completed facility within what government officials envision as a broader healthcare campus in Clark, intended to expand access to specialty care in Central Luzon and reduce the need for some patients to seek treatment in Metro Manila.
Separately, the Pampanga provincial government distributed financial assistance to 63 children undergoing chemotherapy and liver transplant treatment during Friday’s event. Each child received P25,000 in assistance which includes P15,000 from the provincial government and P10,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.