Philippine Children Medical Center

SRN-266: Land Currently Occupied by the Philippine Children Medical Center

RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE URGING THE APPROPRIATE AGENCIES TO WORK COLLA BORA TlVEL Y IN THE IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND CURRENTL Y OCCUPIED BY THE PHILIPPINE CHILDREN MEDICAL CENTER WITH THE END VIEW OF PROTECTING THE BASIC RIGHT OF CHILDREN TO HEALTH SERVICES

Whereas, under Presidential Decree No. 1631, it is the duty of the Government to assist and provide material and financial support in the establishment and maintenance of a “Lungsod ng Kab<itaan”, primarily to benefit the children of the Philippines, and to further enhance the research in pediatric diseases, training of medical and technical personnel, and specialized medical services for the prevention and treatment of children’s diseases. The “Lungsod ng Kabataan” was later on renamed to Philippine Children Medical Center (PCMC) in 1986;

Whereas, PCMC has been facing a long-standing issue regarding ownership of the lots it has been occupying since 1980. The land titles of these still remain with the National Housing Authority (NHA). Based on news reports, NHA is asking for Php 1.1 Billion from the PCMC to purchase the lot it has been standing on for more than thirty (30) years now. Further, NHA said that they are raising funds for the relocation of informal settlers. The NHA has already been selling the hospital’s lots by piecemeal to other government agencies. PCMC is using the remaining 3.4 hectares;

Whereas, as early as in the 1980’5, the PCMC had pleaded the national government to either donate or finance the lot on which it is presently occupying in order that PCMC will be the registered owner of the land and the improvements thereon. Past administrations had issued presidential proclamations to effect transfer of ownership of lands through donation, just in the case of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Court of Tax Appeals. These lands form portion of the 6.3 hectare of land occupied by the PCMC;

Whereas, there is a need to immediately resolve the issue of ownership of the land which PCMC presently occupies. The PCMC indeed plays a crucial role in providing health services to its special pediatric patients. It caters to an estimate of 60,000 patients annually. The specialized training that the PCMC gives doctors and other medical professional in pediatric medicine ultimately benefits the entire country;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved it is the sense of the Senate of the Philippines to urge 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.

 

 

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Implement Land Swap to Retain Children’s Hospital – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino urged the National Housing Authority (NHA) to implement the land swap with the Department of Health (DOH) to resolve the ownership issue on the property occupied by the Philippine Children Medical Center (PCMC).

In 1992, the DOH agreed to swap its 5.9-hectare Cebu property for NHA’s Quezon City 6.4-hectare land where the PCMC currently stands.

However, Aquino said the agreement was realized only on one side because the NHA obtained and distributed the Cebu property through socialized housing while ownership of the Quezon City land was not transferred to the DOH.

“You already have the Cebu property. Would you agree to do a valuation and do the swap now?” Aquino told NHA officials, led by general manager Chito Cruz, during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Health on the issue.

Aquino also disputed NHA’s claim that the agency was just instructed by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to implement the socialized housing project in Cebu.

“When you disposed of that land to your constituents, you weren’t doing it for DOH. You were doing it as your land,” Aquino emphasized.

The senator also said that even President Arroyo’s 2001 memorandum acknowledged the property swap between the DOH and the NHA.

Cruz said the NHA is willing to convey the property to the DOH only if the Department of Justice (DOJ) declares that there is a consummated swap through a legal opinion.

Aquino also got a commitment from the DOJ to resolve the legal side of the issue by next month.

“Let’s make this an early Christmas gift, not just for officials and employees of PCMC, but to all poor Filipino children who enjoy quality free health services,” the senator said.

Earlier, Aquino filed Senate Resolution 266 calling on concerned government agencies to work collaboratively to resolve the PCMC issue.

“Let us set aside other issues and think of the welfare of thousands of poor Filipinos who rely on PCMC for their children’s health,” the senator added.

 

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