Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna bared that the Pres. Corazon C. Aquino General Hospital in Baseco was not given a license to operate by the Department of Health (DOH) for its failure to meet the required standards, because its construction was rushed during the 2000 Presidential elections.
Because of this, the Manila local government unit (LGU) has to spend millions in addition to the original construction expenses, just to fix the said public hospital project which had become a ‘white elephant’ after the past administration rushed to have it started for the presidential elections, thus failing to meet the DOH standards.
Lacuna bared that as of December 2024, the Manila LGU allotted an additional P50 million for the completion of the said project and for it to be able to meet the standards set by the DOH.
Her predecessor, Isko Moreno, was only present during its groundbreaking in 2021 but it was Lacuna who had to see it through, just like all the other projects which were merely started almost all at the same time.
“Taong 2021 nang isinagawa ang groundbreaking ng Baseco Hospital sa ilalim ng nakaraang administrasyon. Subalit hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ito nabubuksan upang mapakinabangan ng mamamayan. Sa halip, patuloy ang paglalaan ng pondo para ayusin ang mga maling pagkakagawa nito—kabilang na ang karagdagang ₱50 milyon na inilaan para sa pagsasaayos,” Lacuna said.
She added: “Ibig sabihin, mali ang plano. Palpak, dahil minadali noong kasagsagan ng presidential election. Kung hindi naman popondohan ulit, magiging semento nalang ito habambuhay. Kung maayos lang sana ang lahat, nakatipid sana ang LGU at hindi nadoble ang gastos.”
Lacuna said had the project not been rushed and instead done in compliance and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the DOH, there would not have been any need for the local government unit to spend all over again.
The mayor stressed: “Ang pondo ng bayan ay dapat mapakinabangan ng taumbayan, hindi masayang sa mga proyektong hindi maayos ang pagkakagawa.”
She also made an assurance, thus: “Ang nasabing ospital ay isa sanang mahalagang serbisyong pangkalusugan para sa mga residente ng nasabing lugar. Patuloy natin itong isinasaayos upang sa wakas ay magamit ito, sa layunin nitong maghatid ng libreng serbisyong medikal sa mga nangangailangan.”
