Senatorial Candidate Loren Legarda at the First Libertad, Antique Polyclinic.
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial aspirant Loren Legarda stressed that public health should be one of the government top priorities especially at this time of the pandemic.
The former three-termer senator vowed to continued to push for quality health care services eve as she inaugurated the first polyclinic in Libertad in her home province of Antique.
“The health of my kasimanwa should always be prioritized, especially amid this pandemic,” said Legarda.
“I am glad that we were able to pursue the construction of Libertad Polyclinic, the first in the Municipality of Libertad after 72 years of not having their own healthcare facility.”
The Antique lone-district representative who co-sponsored the Universal Health Care Act has allotted funds to build the Libertad Polyclinic under the Department of Health’s budget.
As then chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Legarda also provided funds to construct 4 Barangay Health Stations and 1 Rural Health Unit for Libertad, Antique to provide its locals better access to quality, safe, and affordable health services, especially the indigents in the community.
Libertad Municipal Mayor Mary Jean Te thanked Legarda for her initiatives and assistance to the project. She cited that one of the difficulties of her constituents in Libertad was having to travel more than 30 minutes to the nearest hospital in Pandan and when the medical and health services needed by the patients are not available in Pandan, they are forced to travel more or less 3 hours to the capital town of San Jose, thus compromising patients’ health conditions.
“In almost 72 years of being a Municipality, Libertad finally reached the dream of having our very own healthcare facility with efficient medical service where there are available doctors, nurses, and medical personnel to attend to immediate medical needs and supervise laboratory tests, equipped with a pharmacy, and rooms for admission. This was all made possible through the initiative of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda,” Te said.
Legarda also stated that the construction and upgrading of healthcare facilities in every municipality in Antique is part of her initiative to bring government programs and services closer to Antiqueños as she pointed out that healthcare is one of the people’s basic rights often being neglected.
“As a public servant, it is my responsibility to ensure that each and every Antiqueño gets quality and adequate health care services, especially those in the far-flung communities and the poorest of the poor,” Legarda said.
“Ang maayos na kalusugan ng ating mga kasimanwa ay patuloy nating pinapahalagahan dahil ang probinsyang may maayos na programa sa kalusugan ay isang probinsyang produktibo at patuloy sa pag-unlad.”