CEBU 5th District Representative Duke Frasco announced that ₱50 million in national funding has been secured for the Liloan Children’s Hospital in 2025, despite the law mandating the Cebu Provincial Government to shoulder its funding.
Frasco said that he secured the budget even as Republic Act No. 11886 places funding responsibility on the Provincial Government of Cebu.
“Despite the fact that the law mandates the Province of Cebu to fund the establishment of the hospital, I have secured ₱50 million for 2025 from the Department of Health, which the Department of Budget and Management is set to release before September this year,” he said.
He again appealed to the Cebu Provincial Government to prioritize the Liloan Children’s Hospital in the Provincial Development Plan and to include the necessary funding in the Province of Cebu’s annual budget for 2026.
Instead of pointing fingers, Frasco urged his fellow public servicemen to focus on addressing the urgent healthcare needs of the province as the construction of the first seven-storey building and the groundworks alone is estimated to cost roughly ₱200 million.
“The greater the allocation from both the National Government and the Province of Cebu, the sooner the hospital can be completed and made operational for the benefit of the public,” he added.
“Such commitment from the Provincial Government will help ensure the timely completion of the hospital and the swift delivery of much-needed specialized medical services to the children of Cebu and the Visayas. “
He added that the Liloan Children’s Hospital is envisioned as a specialized pediatric facility patterned after the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Manila, capable of serving not only Cebu’s children but also those from across the Visayas.
“This will ease the burden on families who would otherwise have to travel to Manila for specialized pediatric care, saving them both time and significant expenses, while ensuring that children receive timely, world-class medical treatment closer to home.”
He also defended his push for the passage of a bill that will upgrade the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Danao City into a Level II general hospital to be known as the North Cebu Medical Center (NCMC) despite qualms from some local government officials.
Frasco, who is in his third term in Congress, said that House Bill No. 3313 is vital to ensure that the urgent healthcare needs of Northern Cebu can be met while also easing the strain on Cebu City’s overcrowded main public hospital.
“Once enacted, the Danao hospital will be under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health (DOH), allowing national funding to cover its operations and easing the financial burden on the provincial government,” Frasco said.
“The upgraded hospital will also play a significant role in decongesting the overcrowded Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City by serving patients from distant municipalities in northern Cebu.”
House Bill No. 3313 titled: “An Act Upgrading the Cebu Provincial Hospital in the City of Danao, Province of Cebu, Into a Level II General Hospital to be Known as the North Cebu Medical Center, Increasing its Bed Capacity, Upgrading its Professional Health Care Services and Facilities, Authorizing the Increase of its Medical Personnel, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.” was filed by Frasco in a bid to address the urgent healthcare needs in northern Cebu.
Frasco defended his stance following Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s remarks that he was just bandwagoning on healthcare issues in the province.
The measure has been a long-standing advocacy for Frasco, who first filed it in the 18th Congress in 2020 as House Bill No. 8275.
It was refiled in the 19th Congress as House Bill No. 107 in 2022 but was stalled before the House Committee on Health because the Cebu Provincial Board had yet to pass a resolution supporting the proposal.
Again filed last August 6, 2025, the bill proposes to expand the hospital’s bed capacity, upgrade healthcare facilities and services, and authorize the hiring of more doctors, nurses, and medical personnel
Frasco said the initiative goes beyond infrastructure upgrades, calling it “a commitment to building a stronger, more accessible, and inclusive healthcare system” for the people of the 5th District and the entire northern Cebu.
With the measure now refiled in the 20th Congress, Frasco is appealing directly to Governor Pam Baricuatro and the current Provincial Board to pass the needed resolution to allow the bill to proceed.
“Without the Provincial Board’s endorsement, we will face the same delays that have prevented this bill from moving forward in the past,” he said.
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