A decade of stalled hospital projects under flawed budgeting has prompted the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the completion of Metro Manila’s major health facilities by 2028 amid rising public demand for better hospital capacity.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the Marcos administration has shifted to full and upfront funding to prevent delays and corruption that previously affected hospitals, roads, bridges, and classrooms.

During an inspection of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), Dizon expressed dismay that one building took almost 10 years to complete, blaming fragmented funding for leaving projects unfinished.

“Can you imagine, 10 years, and it’s still not finished?” he said, noting that President Marcos has ordered agencies to immediately allocate necessary funds to complete priority projects, placing unfinished hospitals at the top of the national budget agenda.

Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Gregorio Murillo said the PCMC expansion is urgently needed as patient lines begin as early as 5 a.m. and hospital capacity has not kept pace with population growth.

Once completed, the new PCMC building will feature the largest pediatric emergency room in the Philippines, with an eight-story structure and facilities designed to accommodate up to 300 beds.

Dizon also inspected the Philippine Cancer Center, the government’s first dedicated cancer facility, which is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The 20-story building will be significantly larger than private facilities and still requires an additional P1.5 billion to P1.8 billion in funding, which DPWH plans to request in the 2027 budget to ensure timely completion.

Meanwhile, the DPWH is completing the National Kidney and Transplant Institute’s (NKTI) new hemodialysis wing, projected to be the largest in Southeast Asia.

Four floors of the planned 12-story structure are already built.

NKTI Executive Director Dr. Dante Dator said the expansion is crucial as public hospitals accommodate more patients under universal health care and the zero balance billing policy, noting that increasing hospital capacity “cannot happen overnight.”