Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez leads the capsule-laying and groundbreaking rites of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center’s 20-story Center for Advanced Pediatric Services building in Quezon City Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The hospital which he described as “investment in the future of our children” is part of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s Legacy Specialty Hospitals.
HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring sustained funding for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), declaring that investment in children’s health is an investment in the nation’s future.
The leader of the 306-member House of Representatives made the assurance after leading the capsule-laying and groundbreaking rites of the PCMC’s 20-storey Advanced Pediatric Services building at the hospital compound along Quezon Avenue corner Sen. Miriam Defensor Avenue in Quezon City, which is part of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s Legacy Specialty Hospitals.
Speaker Romualdez said the centers would benefit thousands of children suffering from these complicated diseases.
“Malaking tulong ang pasilidad na ito dahil ating binibigyang-halaga ang buhay at kalusugan ng kabataan, para sa kinabukasan ng bayan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Hindi basta-basta ang proyektong ating sisimulan ngayon. Layunin nating magtayo ng multi-specialty center para gamutin ang pinaka-malalang sakit tulad ng pediatric cancer, brain and spine diseases, at iba pang sakit na kailangan ng masusing pag-aalaga,” Speaker Romualdez said.
He told hospital doctors, nurses, administrators, staff, patients, their families, and other stakeholders that last year upon the guidance of President Marcos, Congress allocated funds for PCMC specifically for the Advanced Comprehensive Center for Pediatric Brain and Spine and the Pediatric Cancer Center.
The 20-story building will have a 500-bed capacity and be equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology.
The soon-to-rise facility will feature a Modern Cancer Center and subspecialty services that include infectious diseases, nephrology (kidney-related care), cardiology (heart-related care), pulmonology (respiratory system care), endocrinology (treatment for hormonal disorders), neurology (neuro-developmental pediatrics), and surgical services, and intensive care units for critically ill children, rehabilitation services.
Speaker Romualdez thanked PCMC doctors, nurses, and other staff for their tireless service and sacrifice.
He also greeted them with a Happy 45th Anniversary Tuesday.
PCMC Deputy Executive Director for Education, Training and Research Dr. Mary Ann C. Bunyi, PCMC Deputy Executive Director for Hospital Support Services Dr. Cecilia Gan, Quezon City Health Department OIC Dr. Ramona Abarquez, Health Undersecretary Elmer Punzalan, Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and others joined the event.
“Malaking bagay po sa amin ito (new facility) sir [Speaker Romualdez], mapagsisilbihan ang maraming mga bata,” Gan said in her opening remarks.
Speaker Romualdez also personally interacted with young patients and their parents during his visit to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), bringing warmth and encouragement to families facing health challenges.
After listening to their stories, Speaker Romualdez offered comfort and reaffirmed President Marcos’ commitment to strengthening pediatric healthcare in the country with full funding support from the House of Representatives, underscoring that every Filipino child has access to quality and compassionate medical care.
He added that continued funding for the Children’s Medical Center is also a way of fulfilling the dream of then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who built the cluster of specialty hospitals in the East Avenue-Quezon Avenue area to provide quality health care to Filipinos.
The cluster includes PCMC (formerly Lungsod ng Kabataan), Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).
“Sa araw na ito, hindi lang tayo naglulunsad ng isang proyekto. Nagbibigay tayo ng pag-asa. Hindi ito simula. Hindi rin ito katapusan. Ito’y pagpapatuloy ng pangarap – isang pangarap na nagsimula noong 1979, nang itatag ni dating First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos ang Lungsod ng Kabataan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Nagsimula ito bilang isang tahanan para sa mga batang kailangan ng espesyal na pag-aalaga. Naniniwala ang dating unang ginang, at tayong lahat, na ang kinabukasan ng bansa ay nakasalalay sa kalusugan ng kabataan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Sa bagong yugto ng PCMC, muli nating ibinabalik ang orihinal na layunin nito: Itayo ang pinakamahusay na pasilidad para sa mga bata. Gumamit ng pinakamataas, pinaka-sophisticated, at pinakabago o state-of-the-art technology. Magtayo ng tunay na multi-specialty center na gagamot sa pinakamalalang sakit ng ating kabataan, na magiging investment hindi lamang para sa kasalukuyan, kundi para sa susunod na isandaang taon,” SpeakerRomualdez said.
The House leader said it took another Marcos to sit as president for the hospital to be modernized.
“Hindi po ito mangyayari nang basta-basta. Kinailangan ang isa pang Marcos sa Malacañang para muling buuin ang pangarap ng sambayanan na maiangat ang PCMC,” he added.
“Malayo na ang narating ng PCMC. Pero alam nating lahat—mas malayo pa ang mararating nito kung tulong-tulong at sama-sama tayong kikilos, hindi lamang kaming mga taga-Kongreso. Bilang Speaker, kaisa niyo ako at ang buong House of Representatives, hindi lamang sa salita, kundi sa gawa,” he stressed.
Speaker Romualdez told his audience that as he entered the hospital, he talked to parents of some patients.
“Bilang isang ama, alam ko kung gaano kabigat ang pag-aalala ng isang magulang kapag may sakit ang kanyang anak. Pagpasok ko sa ospital kanina, may ilang magulang at batang may sakit akong nakausap. Tagos sa aking puso’t isipan ang bigat ng kanilang pinagdadaanan. Yan po ang dahilan kung bakit priority natin ang pagpaparami ng serbisyo ng PCMC,” he said.
“Para sa akin, hindi ito basta kwento ng karamdaman. Kwento ito ng paghanap ng lunas. Kwento ng mga batang may leukemia na nangangarap maging guro. Ng mga batang may brain tumor na nangangarap maging arkitekto. Ng mga batang isinilang na may congenital illness, pero hindi kailanman isinuko ang kanilang pangarap,” he said.
He assured hospital staff, patients and their parents that as long as there are children fighting for their future, they would continue to get support from Congress.
“At habang may batang lumalaban, mananatili ang suporta ng Kongreso—walang kapalit, walang kondisyon. Dahil naniniwala tayo: Ang kalusugan ng bawat batang Pilipino ay hindi pribilehiyo. Ito’y karapatan. Ito’y dapat sagot ng bayan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Mga kasama, sa Bagong Pilipinas, pinapahalagahan ang buhay at kalusugan ng kabataan—dahil sa bawat buhay nakasalalay ang kinabukasan ng bayan,” he said
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