Honorable Senator Edgardo J. Angara

 

Honorable Secretary Enrique Ona, M.D.

Department of Health

 

Honorable Secretary Jose De Jesus

Department of Transportation and Communications

 

Honorable Secretary Virgilio R. Delos Reyes

Department of Agrarian Reform

 

Honorable Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo

Province of Aurora

 

Honorable Congressman Juan Edgardo M. Angara

Lone District of Aurora

 

Honorable Mayor Arturo J. Angara

Municipality of Baler, Aurora

 

Chief Representative Norio Matsuda

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines

 

Distinguished guests and officials

 

Ladies and gentlemen:

 

Good Morning!

 

First of all, I would like to thank you all for your warm welcome extended to my third visit to this beautiful Province of Aurora.

 

As the top donor of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Philippines, Japan has been extending unwavering support to the health sector, as one of the most important fields of humanitarian assistance.

 

To the health sector in Aurora Province, Japan has provided assistance in various fields and scales. In 2009, I attended the turn-over ceremony of the Project for upgrading of the Maria Aurora Community Hospital. Today, I am very pleased and honored to attend this groundbreaking ceremony of the Aurora Memorial Hospital, after the inauguration of the newly constructed Bazal Bridge in the municipality of Maria Aurora, which too was assisted through Japan's General Grant Aid Program.

 

I was told that shortages of medical facilities and human resources in this Province are more serious than the rest of the Philippines, and as a result, its infant and maternal mortality rates in 2002 were the highest in Region III. This health project aims to address these difficulties and improve medical services in the Province, by constructing and equipping a Level-2 hospital in the capital city of Aurora.

 

The Aurora Memorial Hospital which costs approximately One Billion Japanese Yen or 509 Million Pesos is funded under Japan's Grant Aid Program. Since I got personally involved, upon Senator Angara's request, in the efforts to secure the approval of my home Government, I am deeply moved to attend this ceremony. Once completed, the hospital will have a capacity of 50 beds and will be qualified as a teaching hospital for the University of the Philippines Manila - School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS), thus, increasing the number of health professionals working and practicing in Aurora province. It would be the only hospital in Aurora that can perform surgical procedures and consequently will reduce the number of patients transferred to other Provinces.

 

In closing, I sincerely hope that this project will contribute to the strategic partnership and deeper cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.

 

Thank you very much for your attention.