CABUYAO, Laguna—This city’s massive infrastructure projects, at nearly P1 billion, are on track for completion starting next month, according to Mayor Rommel A. Gecolea, who said this was the commitment he made prior to his election two years ago.
In a recent interview at the City Hall, he said in a mix of Filipino and English that the P40-million extension of the old Ospital ng Cabuyao is expected to be completed in November 2018.
Set up in 1994, this pioneering public health-care institution will be expanded for the first time after 24 years, with 50 new beds added to its inventory of 45.
The first phase of the Cabuyao City Hospital (CCH), on the other hand, is now “60-percent” done and is projected to be completed by December 2018.
This second-level health-care institution boasts of 150 beds, an intensive care unit, neonatal ICU, tertiary clinical laboratory, high-risk pregnancy unit, service department, x-ray and mobile unit.
Cabuyao is setting a record in Laguna’s history for this big-ticket hospital project initiated by the mayor himself.
“My budget is P1.7 billion every year for all the operations of our local government,” Gecolea said of the annual internal revenue allotment they receive from the national government, which is lower than other component cities of the province.
But, he added, “we are the only city here to build the biggest-funded hospital that is already P400 million worth in the first stage of development.”
Overall, investment in CCH is estimated to reach P500 million to P600 million during the second or final phase in 2019, including the acquisition and installation of state-of-the-art medical equipment.
Construction of the Cabuyao Institute of Technology’s P40-million first phase and the P250-million Cabuyao Athlete Basic School is also ongoing.
The latter will have five buildings—one targeted for completion in the next couple of months.
Other projects in the pipeline include the Enterprise Museum, at P50 million; Cabuyao Command Center, P50 million; Track and Field Stadium, P25 million; and Malasakit Center, P15 million.
All initiatives are anchored on the so-called “3 Ks” or focus areas of his administration, such as Karunungan (education), Kalusugan (health) and Kabuhayan (livelhood), according to him.
“There is development if you are knowledgeable. There is development if you are strong. There is development if you are employed,” Gecolea said.
The mayor said they are heavily investing in public infrastructure to encourage more investors to come in.
“I want to build confidence and establish a community for business and community for living,” he said.
The soon-to-rise state-owned facilities, public hospitals, sports complex, educational institution, command center, business center and social welfare services are being built on the city government’s acquired lands, aggregating to 11.5 hectares.
“That’s the biggest procurement of lots that we have,” Gecolea said. “Due to Cabuyao’s rapid urbanization, I worry that our lands will be bought, and we end up with nothing for all our institutional structures. That’s why we already procured them.”