Senator Bam Aquino has filed a resolution “urging” government agencies “to work collaboratively” to quickly resolve the land ownership issue of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) and “focus on treating children.”

Senate Resolution No. 66 “[expresses] the sense of the Senate urging the appropriate agencies to work collaboratively in the immediate resolution of the issue of ownership of the land currently occupied by the Philippine Children Medical Center with the end view of protecting the basic right of children to health services.”

The PCMC recently faced possible “eviction” by the National Housing Authority (NHA), which currently owns the 3.4-hectare property on which the PCMC stands. According to reports, the PCMC treats over 60,000 patients annually, most of whom are children from poor families.

Sen. Aquino said, “Hindi na dapat pinoproblema ng ating mga government hospitals kung mae-evict sila o hindi. Ang dapat na pinoproblema nila ay ‘yung mga pangangailangan ng mga pasyente. In the case of the PCMC, ang kapakanan ng mga batang tinutulungan nila ang dapat nilang tinututukan.”

“The resolution urges the different agencies to talk and settle the issue already. Hindi talaga maganda na ang isang ahenisya ng gobyerno ay pinapaalis ng isa pang ahensiya ng gobyerno—in this case, ospital pa ng mga bata,” Sen. Aquino reiterated.

The lawmaker also said that he was willing to help push for “long-term solutions” to the land ownership problem of public hospitals and public schools, through Senate hearings or through legislation.

“In the meantime, be assured that there will be no eviction happening to the PCMC,”Sen. Aquino announced.