Mandaue seeks senators’ help for hospital upgrade

Local

BUILDING a modern hospital to upgrade healthcare services in Mandaue City is at the forefront of the city government’s priority infrastructure projects as it seeks funding support from senators.

Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano confirmed that the city is actively requesting financial assistance to construct a new four-story, level 2 hospital on the site of the existing Mandaue City Hospital.

The mayor said the construction is targeted to begin in the first quarter of 2026.

The new facility is expected to cost between P800 million and P4 billion, reflecting the scale and complexity of the project.

Earlier, City Administrator Sally Malig-on described the hospital as the more expensive and complicated of the city’s two key infrastructure plans.

Ouano emphasized that the current hospital will remain operational throughout the construction phase to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.

“As nag-construct ta sa atong bag-ong hospital, kining atong existing dili gyud na isira. Dili gyud na isira, ongoing gyud ang operation ana,” he said.

Ouano also announced plans to open the hospital floors progressively as construction advances to provide early access to new facilities for patients.

The city government has submitted formal funding requests ranging from P50 million to P100 million to senators, many of whom were approached due to their prior ties with the Ouano family.

While the delegation received positive feedback, the final amounts granted will depend on the allocations made under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Congresswoman Emmarie “Lollypop” Ouano-Dizon, who accompanied Mayor Ouano in the meetings, has pledged P100 million toward the hospital project for its initial construction.

Ouano said the city government will fund the detailed engineering design, with an estimated cost between P40 million and P45 million.

In addition to this, he said Tingog Partylist is expected to pledge between P100 million and P150 million to support the hospital, while other senators have expressed support contingent on budget availability.

The siblings, accompanied by Opao Barangay Captain Nixon Dizon, husband of the congresswoman, have already met with Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Juan Edgardo Angara, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, and Ramon Revilla Jr. to discuss funding and partnerships for the projects.

Apart from the hospital, the city government is also planning to expand Mandaue City College.

The construction of the new college building is slated to begin next year and may take up to three years to complete, further enhancing educational infrastructure in the city.(MyTVCebu)