TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The construction of the proposed PhP800 million city-owned hospital is now underway to enhance quality health services to the residents and people from neighboring communities, Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero said here Monday.
The city’s chief executive made the important pronouncement right in time for the celebration of the 74th Tabuk Founding Anniversary, 23rd Matagoan Festival and 17th cityhood anniversary.
Earlier, the health department granted the city government permit to construct a 100-bed hospital within a 5-hectare city property in the city to allow residents to be provided with quality health care services with the projected partnership with specialists who will be visiting the city on a regular basis.
However, the mayor disclosed that the city government will work on a 50-bed capacity for the hospital’s initial operations by the first quarter of next year.
“We will be forging partnerships with various groups of specialists for them to regularly visit and hold regular clinics in the city hospital to allow Tabukenos the chance to avail of quality health services from experts in the various fields of medicine. We will make sure that Tabukenos will have easier access to quality health services,” Estran͂ero stressed.
The mayor pointed out that the city government wants to put a premium on the health of the people, thus it heavily invested in the ongoing construction of the city-owned hospital to ensure the city constituency good health and for them to sustain their individual and collective productivity that will contribute in spurring the city’s growth and development.
According to him, residents experiencing health issues have to go to Tuguegarao in Cagayan, or Isabela, and even as far as Baguio or Metro Manila to have their illnesses diagnosed or treated that entrails enormous expenses, thus the city government decided to put up its own hospital and enter into partnerships with specialists so as not to affect the city’s allocation for personnel services.
The construction and eventual operation of the city-owned hospital is one of the flagship projects of Mayor Estran͂ero to provide the residents with quality and accessible health services and facilities right in the city.
He assured concerned stakeholders that the city government will continuously work out the provision of support from both the government and private sectors to fully operationalize the city-owned hospital to allow the city to have one of the best local government-owned and administered hospitals in the north.
The mayor pointed out that as a fast developing city, Tabuk must already have the necessary facilities providing basic services so that both residents and visitors can easily access these without having to travel to distant places.
Tabuk is a component city of Kalinga by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 9404 that was ratified by the Tabukenos on June 24, 2024. By Dexter A. See
