OFW
DOLE-OFW hospital to offer free
services
DOLE-OFW HOSPITAL GROUND-
BREAKING. Former President
and House Speaker Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd from
right) is joined by Labor Secre-
tary Silvestre H. Bello III (3rd
from left), Health Secretary
Francisco T. Duque, Pampanga
Governor Lilia G. Pineda,
PAGCOR CEO Andrea C. Domin-
go, and a representative from
Home Development Mutual
Development Fund (HDMF) and
Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels
Company in the groundbreaking
of the DOLE-OFW Hospital and
Diagnostic Center during the
Labor Day celebration on May
1, at the PEO Compound, Ba-
rangay Sindalan, San Fernando,
Pampanga.
Credit: Jomar Lagmay, IPS
T
he labor department will unveil another gift of the Duterte
administration to overseas Filipino workers last May 1, Labor
Day, with the groundbreaking of a hospital in San Fernando,
Pampanga, which will provide free services to OFWs.
Labor Undersecretary Ana Dione said the establishment
of the hospital and diagnostics center for workers is an initia-
tive of Secretary Silvestre Bello III meant to provide various
free services for migrant workers, as well as their families and
dependents, in grateful recognition of their contribution to the
growth of the economy.
“This is the concept of our Secretary Bello. The launch and groundbreaking of
this hospital is last May 1. This will provide our OFWs and their dependents free
hospital and other medical services,” Dione said.
She said the hospital can provide free laboratory exam and the required medi-
cal certificates for those qualified workers.
“The hospital will be exclusively for OFWs and their dependents. The plan is to
provide them with free services when securing their medical certificates, covering
laboratory exams and other basic requirements for their overseas deployment.
We hope that this will also be honored by the host countries so we expect a quite
extensive negotiation on this,” Dione added.
The hospital will be financed by donations and the Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA), with support from the Department of Health (DOH) and
the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Construction is
expected to be completed in one and a half to two years, following the requisite
documentation. The property where the hospital will rise is a donation from the
provincial government of Pampanga.
Dione said the labor secretary will announce other details and services that will
be offered by the OFW hospital on May 1.
Aside from the groundbreaking of the OFW hospital, the labor the department
will also lead simultaneous job and business fair in 31 sites across the country in
the observance of the Labor Day with the theme ‘Pagpupugay sa Manggagawang
Pilipino.” www.dole.gov.ph
“The hospital will be exclusively for OFWs and their dependents. The plan is to provide
them with free services when securing their medical certificates, covering laboratory
exams and other basic requirements for their overseas deployment. We hope that this
will also be honored by the host countries so we expect a quite extensive negotiation
on this,” Dione added.
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