AC Health’s specialty cancer hospital breaks ground in Taguig

MANILA, Philippines — Beyond boosting the private sector’s pandemic response, Ayala’s healthcare arm AC Health lives up to its goal of providing quality health care for all as it officially breaks ground for the construction of Healthway Cancer Care Center, the Philippines’ first dedicated specialty cancer hospital.

Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Ayala Corp. president and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala led the facility’s ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday 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 (RA 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 disease.

Once completed in July 2023, Healthway Cancer Care Center will 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 has partnered 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.

“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, 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,” Duque added.

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.

#BrigadangAyala donates flu vaccines

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Ayala Corp., together with AC Health, 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 health care 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,” added AC Health president and CEO Paolo Borromeo.

Aside from the donation of flu vaccines, AC Health has worked closely with the City of 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 has been leading 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 8, AC Health has administered more than 125,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to priority groups across LGUs, the Ayala Group and partner companies.