The leadership of the House of Representatives on Tuesday assured the continued funding for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), calling it an investment in the children’s future.

Speaker Martin Romualdez made the commitment after the capsule-laying and groundbreaking ceremony for PCMC’s new 20-story Center for Advanced Pediatric Services, which is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Legacy Specialty Hospitals initiative.

“Malaking tulong ang pasilidad na ito dahil ating binibigyang-halaga ang buhay at kalusugan ng kabataan, para sa kinabukasan ng bayan (This facility is a big help because we are giving value to the life and health of our youth, for the nation’s future),” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said the new building would be a multi-specialty center addressing complex diseases like pediatric cancer and brain and spine disorders.

He said Congress had allocated funding for PCMC, particularly for the Advanced Comprehensive Center for Pediatric Brain and Spine and the Pediatric Cancer Center, last year under Marcos’ directive.

The 20-story structure will have 500 beds and be equipped with advanced medical technology, including a Modern Cancer Center and subspecialty services in infectious diseases, nephrology, cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, neurology, surgery, intensive care, and rehabilitation.

Romualdez also reaffirmed Marcos’ commitment to strengthening pediatric healthcare in the country with full funding support from the House of Representatives.

He said the initiative also fulfills the vision of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who built the cluster of specialty hospitals in the East Avenue-Quezon Avenue area to provide quality healthcare to Filipinos.

The cluster includes PCMC (formerly Lungsod ng Kabataan), Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

For her part, PCMC deputy executive director Dr. Cecilia Gan said the project would allow the hospital to serve more children.

“Malaking bagay po sa amin ito (new facility) sir [Speaker Romualdez], mapagsisilbihan ang maraming mga bata (This new facility is a big deal for us, sir [Speaker Romualdez], because it will allow us to serve many more children),” Gan told Romualdez. (PNA)