Mayor Emeng Pascual leads the groundbreaking rites of the 4-story Batang Gapan Medical Center held beside the city hall grounds on Friday. Photo by STEVE A. GOSUICO
Gapan City groundbreaks new P750M hospital
GAPAN CITY — The city government led by Mayor Emerson “Emeng” Pascual will start the construction of its first-ever locally funded hospital following groundbreaking rites held at a vacant lot beside the city hall grounds here on Friday.
Dubbed “Batang Gapan Medical Center,” the new four-story, 132-bed capacity hospital will be built at a construction cost of P750-million entirely sourced from the city coffers.
Pascual, along with his sister, Board Member Joy Pascual, Vice Mayor Inocencio Bautista Jr., and members of the city council led the groundbreaking rites for its proposed construction at 7 a.m. here.
“Let this hospital be a monument of thanksgiving to God of all the people of Gapan sapagkat ito ay magbibigay ng labis-labis na paglilingkod sa mga nangangailangan,” said Rev. Fr. Aldrin S. Domingo, rector of La Virgen Divina Pastora and Three Kings Parish, who officiated a Holy Mass prior to the ground-breaking rites.
The event was graced by General Tinio mayor Isidro T. Pajarillaga, San Leonardo mayoral aspirant Alan Purisima Jr., and board member candidates Mikee Dayupay and Gerry Dela Cruz.
Once completed, Pascual, who is gunning for congressman in the province’s 4th district said the hospital will be fully-operated by the city government with the target of providing free medical and hospital assistance, including medicine to the people, especially the indigents.
“Dito po sabi ko nga mayroong gobyerno sinasandalan dito sa Lungsod ng Gapan. Dito po 100 percent, LGU ang mag-ooperate nito, 100 percent libre walang babayaran ang mga tao, lahat libre kahit gamot walang babayaran dito, the city mayor told reporters in an interview.
Pascual described the putting up of the hospital as a “dream come true” for him and “Batang Gapan.” He added it will serve as a lasting legacy of his unselfish and selfless dedication as a public servant in the province’s 4th district.
Pascual said the new hospital’s target completion date is within 18 months to two years.
Other pro-poor projects that were previously built under the Pascual administration were the Libreng Dialysis Center and the Libreng Diagnostic Center inside the city hall compound here.
