House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez
Romualdez couple thanks Duterte for law uplifting Leyte health care capacity
HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez on Friday thanked President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for signing into law Thursday evening two measures that would improve the capacity of two hospitals in the province of Leyte.
“We extend our sincerest gratitude to President Duterte for signing these vital bills into law. We also thank our colleagues from the House of Representatives and the Senate for working on these measures that would surely uplift the health care capacity in our province,” said the Romualdez couple, who principally authored House Bills (HB) 6971 and 6972.
“The passage of these measures exemplifies our never-ending commitment to our constituents, who truly deserve quality health care and facilities,” the Romualdezes said.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11566 (formerly HB 6971 and Senate Bill 1584) converts the Schistosomiasis Control And Research Hospital in Palo, Leyte into a general Hospital to be known as the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center. It also increases the hospital’s bed capacity from 25 to 100, upgrades its professional health care services and facilities, and authorizes the increase of its medical personnel.
RA 11567 (formerly HB 6972 and SB 1378), meanwhile, renames the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City into the Eastern Visayas Medical Center. It also increases the hospital’s bed capacity from 500 to 1,500 beds and appropriating funds therefor.
Other principal sponsors and authors of both measures were Sens. Bong Go and Imee Marcos and Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, chairperson of the House Committee on Health, and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, and Health Sec. Francisco Duque witnessed the ceremonial signing.
Both measures were transmitted to the President last Wednesday, June 23, and approved during the ceremonial signing in Malacañang on Thursday.
“These measures are much-need in Palo and Tacloban especially now that we are still in a pandemic. Rest assured that we will continue to work hard for relevant measures like these for our kababayans,” the Romualdez couple said.
