Cebu City — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday, February 12, pledged a P50-million financial assistance to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), a government-owned hospital here.
President Duterte made the commitment as he led the launching of the Malasakit Center at the hospital, which aims to improve the access of public to health care services especially the underprivileged.
“Tapos ang V. Luna, 50 million a month; ang AFP, 50 million a month; PGH, 100 million. Kayo mga 50 million a month para sa mga tao,” he said in his speech referring to the assistance he had given to other hospitals in the country.
The Malasakit Center at the VSMMC is the first of six centers eyed to be opened in government hospitals in Cebu and Bohol.
The center serves as a one-stop-shop that will provide easy access to government programs and agencies that extend assistance to the poor including Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR).
The center is funded by the batchmates of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino at the Sacred Heart School Batch ‘85 Foundation.
In a statement, Dino said setting up Malasakit centers is in line with the President’s directive to streamline processes of government services.
“This way, patients do not need to undergo the tedious and often repetitive processes of securing requirements and going from one agency to another,” he said.
The Chief Executive then witnessed the turnover ceremony for the donation of 1,000 computer units to the Department of Education (DepEd) from business process outsourcing companies.
It will be used by public elementary schools in far-flung barangays and island municipalities in the Visayas.
Duterte also led the turnover of one complete set of digital radio system to the Cebu City Police Office.
It is composed of one unit of digital trunking repeater, five units of digital mobile base terminal, and 20 units of digital portable terminal.
Meanwhile, the President reiterated his resolve against illegal drugs amid the impending investigation of an international court.
“Drugs? I’d like to address myself to the International Court of Justice and to the prosecutors coming here to investigate. The war or the drive against drugs will not stop and it will last until the day I step out,” he said.
Duterte has welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct a preliminary investigation on the alleged extrajudicial killings linked to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
