UP-PGH Cancer Center to offer 'comprehensive range' of services
The national government has approved the construction of a P6-billion worth Cancer Center in Manila. Once operational, this specialized hospital will offer “comprehensive or full range” of treatments to cancer patients, said a health expert on Monday, Feb. 6.
University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) Special Assistant to the Director Dr. Jose Rafael Marfori said the establishment of a Cancer Center in the Philippines is necessary, stressing that there are a lot of things to look forward to in this project.
“There’s a lot to look forward to. It does offer a comprehensive range of , not just diagnostics and treatment, and not just inpatient but also outpatient . It will have three times the number of linear accelerators that PGH currently has,” said Marfori in a “Laging Handa” briefing on Monday morning.
The Cancer Center will be built within the UP-PGH Campus in Manila. It will be a 15 to 20-story building with at least 300 beds, 350 parking spaces, and 1,000 square meters of commercial space. An area for three linear accelerator bunkers will also be allocated.

Within its 3,000 square meters of space, various services from radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical oncology and "other major modes" will be offered according to the expert.
Not only will it provide several forms of treatments, the specialized hospital will also be a “center of studies,” paving the way for UP-PGH’s research and teaching activities.
As for the timeline of construction, Marfori explained that this will be a long process which will begin with an investor forum in February 2023.
“Within this month, we will be holding an investor forum, maybe launching the formal bid next month. We expect two to three years of construction. So that takes us to maybe a turnover in 2026 2027 – the sooner the better,” he added.
The UP-PGH Cancer Center was the first public-private partnership (PPP) project greenlighted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board under the current administration.