The House of Representatives has granted a fervent wish of the late Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna when lawmakers unanimously passed on third and final a bill creating the first nationally-funded Level II hospital in Bulacan.
Villanueva was the wife of former CIBAC Partylist Rep. Sherwin Tugna. She was the daughter of Deputy Speaker (DS) Bro. Eddie Villanueva and sister of Senator Joel Villanueva.
Authored by former Speaker and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter “Companero” S. Cayetano, HB 8606 sought to establish the first national general hospital in Bulacan which will be under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health.
The hospital will be known as the Joni Villanueva General Hospital.
In a manifestation in which he aired the Villanueva family’s gratitude to the Lower House, Bro. Eddie disclosed that in pushing for the establishment of the said hospital, his daughter donated her own lot to encourage the immediate realization of her cause for better public health for Bulacan.
“This project was Mayor Joni’s brainchild – from donating her own land property to be the site of this hospital, into lobbying the national government for appropriations needed for its operations – she did it all. Mayor Joni gave her all in the service of the people of Bocaue,” said the popular evangelist who heads the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide.
He said the proposed Level 2 DOH hospital will be have an initial capacity fo 100 beds and equipped with standard hospital amenities such as emergency and operating rooms; isolation rooms and Level 3 laboratory.
The House official said the proposed hospital will cater not only to patients coming from Bocaue and Bulacan, but also from Region 3 and even from Metro Manila.
“Ang ospital na ito ay katuparan ng matayog na pangarap ni Mayor Joni para sa lahat ng Bocaueño at Bulakenyo. Alam kong ito ay nagdudulot ngayon ng galak at tuwa hindi lamang sa kanya doon sa langit bagkus sa bawat Bocaueñong nagmamahal sa kanya. (This hospital is a realization of the huge aspirations of Mayor Joni for Bocaue and Bulacan. I know this is not only giving her happiness in heaven but also to Bocaue folk who love her.),” said DS Villanueva.
He said his daughter only wants the very best for her constituents.
Former Rep. Tugna also thanked his former colleagues in the Lower House as he agreed with the observation of lawmakers that approval of the measure was a fitting tribute to the outstanding contributions of his wife to Bulacan.
Mayor Villanueva-Tugna died May 28 last year due to “sepsis secondary to bacterial pneumonia.” She was 42.