Metro Pacific wants to acquire 4 or more hospitals in 2025

Metro Pacific Health Corp. (MPH), the Philippines’ largest hospital group and a subsidiary of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), is looking to acquire four or more hospitals this year.

In an interview, MPH Vice Chairman and President Augusto P. Palisoc Jr. said they acquired four hospitals last year and, “I’m hoping we can do the same, if not more, for this year.”

He noted, though, that, “it’s really very difficult to promise or estimate,” because some negotiations may take years, while some are quickly concluded.

Palisoc said they continue to want to “acquire as many as we can,” noting that they were able to ramp up to four acquisitions last year, compared to their historical average of less than two a year, thanks to a reorganization of the senior management team.

“We brought in Dr. Harish (Pillai) to handle operations so that I can focus on the investment side,” he noted.

MPIC Chief Finance Officer and MPH Director Chaye Cabal-Revilla said MPH increased its earnings contribution to MPIC by 50 percent to ₱560 million last year as it continued to expand its hospital network to the current 27.

“But, from an organic standpoint, same-facility basis, we’re seeing growth, even without the add-on hospitals. So our healthcare group is doing very, very well. Double-digit growth across all financial metrics from revenues down to core income—this is on account of increases in inpatient and outpatient services,” she noted.

Among MPH’s latest acquisitions was a majority stake in San Francisco Doctors Hospital (SFDH) in Agusan del Sur last October.

The investment, made with subsidiary Santos Clinic Inc. (SCI), which owns and operates Manuel J. Santos Hospital (MJSH) in Butuan City, marks the acquisition of MPH’s sixth hospital in Mindanao.

SFDH is a 100-bed facility in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, that opened its doors in 2013.

“Located just 80 kilometers from MJSH, SFDH is well-positioned to benefit from the operational efficiencies and synergies that this strategic investment will bring,” MPH said.

MPH plans to invest heavily in the development and management of SFDH, aiming to enhance the hospital’s capacity to meet the growing healthcare needs of Agusan del Sur and surrounding communities.

This joint investment by MPH and SCI follows a proven strategy of enhancing healthcare delivery in the provinces by linking a larger, urban hospital with a smaller, strategically located facility.

“Expanding our network through strategic investments like the one in SFDH allows us to bring accessible and dependable healthcare to more communities,” said Palisoc.

He added that, “We remain committed to delivering top-quality healthcare services and improving the overall health infrastructure across our archipelago.”