The Makati City local government on Thursday, Jan. 11, announced that all residents of the 10 EMBO barangays -- Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside, and Southside -- are now eligible for free consultations in the city's health centers.
Mayor Abby Binay
The city government said Makati City Mayor Abby Binay gave the directive to help EMBO residents in their medical needs especially as the health centers and lying-in clinics located in the barangays were closed after their licenses to operate expired.
Residents may proceed to the nearest health center in their area or call the number that may be found in this link: bit.ly/MHD_HC_contact
"Ang mga health center ay bukas Lunes hanggang Biyernes 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mayroon din tayong 24/7 Primary Care center sa Palanan (All health centers are open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We also have a 24/7 Primary Care center in Palanan)," the local government unit (LGU) explained.
At the start of 2024, the feud between the two local government units (LGUs) was reignited after the Makati City government's closure of all health centers and lying-in clinics located in the EMBO barangays.
Taguig City condemned Makati's move saying the villages are now under its jurisdiction.
In response, Makati City Administrator Atty. Claro Certeza said Taguig has prior knowledge about the closure of the health centers but did nothing about it.
"Matagal nang alam ng Taguig na magsasara ang health centers sa EMBO barangays bago pa man into i-anunsyo ng Makati. Matagal na ring alam ng Taguig na kailangan ng License to Operate para sa health centers sa EMBO. Ito ay ipinaalala pa sa kanila ng Metro Manila Center for Health Development ng Department of Health (DOH) sa isang sulat noong Nov. 21, 2023. Ano ng naging aksyon ng Taguig? WALA (Taguig City has prior knowledge that the EMBO barangays' health centers will be shut down even before Makati City announced it. They also known long before that the License to Operate is needed by the EMBO health centers which was reminded to them by the Metro Manila Center for Health Development of the Department of Health in a letter dated Nov. 21, 2023. But what did Taguig do about it? NONE)."
"Ngayon, pinalalabas ng Taguig na sila ay ginigipit ng Makati. Hindi ba ito katawa-tawa? At sino ngayon ang nagsasakripisyo sa buhay at kapakanan ng mga taga-EMBO para sa politikal na interes? Para sa kaalaman ng mga namamahala ng Taguig, ang License to Operate ay kailangan para sa health facilities na nagbibigay ng diagnostic services. Bukod sa konsultasyon, ang diagnostic services ay kasama sa mga serbisyong ibinibigay ng health centers ng Makati na nasa EMBO barangays. Malamang ay konsultasyon lang ang ibinibigay na serbisyo ng health centers ng Taguig kaya hindi nila alam na kailangan ng License to Operate (Now, Taguig is pretending that Makati is giving them a difficult time. Isn't that laughable? Now, who is the one sacrificing the lives and future of EMBO residents just for the sake of political interest? For Taguig's information, the License to Operate is needed for health facilities to provide diagnostic services. Aside from consultation, diagnostic services are included in the services being given by Makati health centers located in the EMBO barangays. Maybe Taguig's health centers can only provide consultations, hence their lack of knowledge that the License to Operate is needed)," he added.
Certeza noted that Taguig has flatly refused all proposals coming from Makati to ensure uninterrupted access to health services in the EMBO barangays, including the creation of a data-sharing agreement with Taguig to facilitate the health centers.
"Taguig refused to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Makati regarding the properties owned and managed by the city. It also refused to enter into a Data Sharing agreement. Instead, they continue to make the outrageous claim that they own the public facilities constructed by Makati and the land on which these facilities have been built. Uulitin lang namin para sa kapakapanan ng mga namamahala sa Taguig: ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema ay tungkol sa political jurisdiction. It is about political territory, not ownership (We would just like to remind the officials of Taguig that the Supreme Court's decision only covers political jurisdiction. It is about political territory, not ownership)," he explained.