Former DPWH Sec. Mark Villar, Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Gov. Delta Pineda and Mayor Jun Tetangco break ground signaling start of construction of hospital. Contributed photo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The construction of a five-storey, 150-bed state-of-the art annex of the Pampanga provincial hospital – officially the Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital in Guagua town – commenced Monday with groundbreaking rites at its site in Barangay Sampaloc, Apalit.
With a funding of P300 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways approved during the incumbency of Secretary Mark Villar, the hospital is a joint effort of the local government of Apalit which will undertake site development and upgrade, and the provincial government that shall administer its operations.
The hospital site is part of the nearly three-hectare lot donated by the family of Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr., Asccom Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Nature Realty Development Corp. now comprising the Apalit Health and Education Complex where a provincial government dialysis center and the Apalit campus of the Don Honorio Ventura State University are situated.
At the groundbreaking ceremonies, Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda thanked former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar as it was during his incumbency that the P70 million funding for the first phase of the construction was approved and assured the additional funding for it.
He also thanked the donors of the land and the private sector stakeholders for their “act of citizenship and compassion” that will redound to the well-being of their fellow Kapampangans, especially the poor.
For his part, Tetangco said: “Ito ay pangarap namin noon pa ni Governor Delta at ngayon ay matutupad na dahil sa tulungan at suporta hindi lang ng kasama namin sa gobyerno kundi pati mga private individuals na kasama natin nangangarap para sa mas progresibong bayan ng Apalit.”
“Isa ito sa pinakamalaking ospital sa Pampanga at seserbisyuhan hindi lang ang taga-Apalit kundi ang mga nasa fourth district,” he added.
The construction of the hospital will be completed in two to three years, Tetangco said, expressing certainty that he will still be mayor of Apalit by then as he is running unopposed.
Joining Villar, Pineda and Tetangco at the groundbreaking ceremony was Vice Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda whose priority on health services in her three terms as governor has continued to the term of her son.
