Beyond boosting the private sector’s pandemic response, Ayala’s healthcare arm AC Health lives up to its goal of providing quality healthcare for all as it officially broke ground for the construction of Healthway Cancer Care Center, the Philippines’ first dedicated specialty cancer hospital on Thursday.
Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Ayala Corp. president and chief executive Fernando Zobel de Ayala led the facility’s ceremonial groundbreaking at the FTI Complex in Taguig City.
With cancer being the second leading cause of death in the Philippines, the 100-bed Healthway Cancer Care Center is Ayala Group’s response to the Cancer Control Act (Republic Act No. 11215), which gives the private sector the green light to create cancer specialty hospitals and clinics. In 2020 alone, over 150,000 cancer cases were recorded in the country. In the same year, 90,000 Filipinos succumbed to the dreaded disease.
Once completed by July 2023, Healthway Cancer Care Center would be the first comprehensive, dedicated cancer hospital in the country, offering a complete range of cancer services from screening, diagnosis, treatment to post-cancer care. AC Health teamed up with Varian-CTSI, which provides clinical services and solutions to over 100 hospitals, clinics and physician groups worldwide in ensuring delivery of affordable yet high standards of cancer care in the country.
“Cancer is a critical public health problem with an enormous impact on patients, the families, and the healthcare system at large. There is an urgent need to develop sustainable solutions. We need to increase awareness of the disease through patient education, improve the timeliness of diagnosis through rigorous screening programs, and minimize out-of-pocket cancer expenses through affordable cancer care,” said Zobel de Ayala, who is also the chairman of the board of AC Health.
“We are optimistic that the enactment of the NICCA law and various cancer care initiatives of the DOH will help reduce the burden of the disease. Now more than ever, there is a need to provide better avenues for cancer patients to seek consultation and treatment. We are delighted that AC Health will be establishing the first specialized hospital for cancer in the Philippines,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
With the addition of Healthway Cancer Care Center, AC Health expands its healthcare portfolio alongside Healthway Clinics, Qualimed Hospitals, Generika Drugstores, IE Medica and MedEthix and the HealthNow mobile app.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Ayala Corp., together with AC Health, also turned over 1,000 doses of flu vaccine to Taguig City. The flu vaccine will serve to protect Taguig’s constituents against the infectious disease and its possible complications as the country focuses on beating COVID-19.
“With the donation of the flu vaccines through the #BrigadangAyala, we are optimistic that we will be able to lessen the burden of influenza, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We target to administer these vaccines for our priority beneficiaries namely, the Philippine National Police, Traffic Management Office, Barangay Health Workers, Bureau of Fire Protection and other frontliners,” said Cayetano.
“The Taguig City government has always been an advocate in promoting healthcare for their constituents and many Filipinos in need. Their various programs, from cancer care initiatives to vaccination efforts, are a testament to their commitment to provide quality and accessible health services. The Ayala Group is delighted to support the City of Taguig in its efforts to protect the health of its constituents,” said AC Health president and chief executive Paolo Borromeo.
Aside from the donation of flu vaccines, AC Health has worked closely with Taguig to augment their COVID-19 vaccination efforts for their constituents across the A1-A5 priority groups. At the onset of the pandemic, AC Health led the Ayala Group’s COVID-19 response initiatives. It has worked closely with the DOH, IATF and local governments to implement protocols across the group and spearhead key milestones, from setting up mega-isolation facilities and testing labs to securing vaccines for employees and other stakeholders.
As of July 13, 2021 AC Health has administered more than 193,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to priority groups across LGUs, the Ayala Group and partner companies.
#BrigadangAyala is Ayala Group’s united contribution to serving people and communities nationwide. It is Ayala Group’s integrated response to its almost two century-old commitment to national development by doing various social development and corporate social responsibility initiatives—ranging from disaster relief and response, assistance for public education, championing of social enterprises and public health advocacy, among others.