Fri| 02.18.2022 | 2:30 PM
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) once again intensified its support to the healthcare sector and local communities by releasing over P14 million grant recently.
On February 17, 2022, the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) received P10 million financial assistance from PAGCOR for the procurement of various medical equipment that were destroyed when a fire gutted the hospital’s Operating Room Sterilization Area on May 16, 2021.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea D. Domingo said the agency has been giving support to PGH through various donations and financial assistance for the hospital’s charity patients. “When the fire broke out in the hospital last year, we immediately provided non-food items, personal protective equipment and hygiene essentials for the medical staff and patients.”
PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi said the donation from PAGCOR will help the state-owned hospital to re-establish the essential services of their operation. The fire caused structural damages and burned sterilization units and other medical apparatus in the hospital.
“Napakahalaga ng donation ng PAGCOR sa pag-renovate at pagbili ng gamit para sa nasunog na operating room, which is a vital component of the operations of the hospital. Our operations stopped because the equipment were burned. The financial assistance we received will help restore our vital services, especially the highly specialized operations,” Legaspi said.
Apart from PGH, PAGCOR also turned-over cash grants to various local government units (LGUs) this week.
The agency released P2 million each to the Municipality of Castilla, Sorsogon, and the Provincial Government of Batanes to address medical and housing needs.
Castilla Mayor Isagani Mendoza said the amount will be used for the purchase of various medicines to be given to COVID-19 patients in the municipality to sustain the local government’s containment efforts and effectively manage the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the P2 million grant to the Provincial Government of Batanes will be used for the procurement of housing materials for the families who lost their houses during the onslaught of Typhoon Kiko in September 2021.
“This will definitely augment our efforts to complete the repair and construction of the damaged houses of the victims,” Batanes Provincial Government Office Liaison Officer Aurora Cultura said.
Furthermore, PAGCOR donated P524,000 to Barangay La Purisima Nuevo in Ocampo, Camarines Sur for the provision of one unit utility vehicle to be utilized for the emergency response and solid waste management of the barangay.