Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced on Thursday, July 9, the successful third angioplasty procedure at the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, with the latest patient discharged without paying a single peso.

The procedure was performed on a 67-year-old Manila resident who would have otherwise spent nearly P975,000, an amount that can reach up to P1.5 million in private hospitals.

Domagoso emphasized that the patient paid nothing for the life-saving treatment.

“Magkano po binayaran ng pasyente natin ngayon? Zero. Literally zero. Walang binayaran. Salamat sa taxpayers ng siyudad (How much did our patient pay today? Zero. Literally zero. Nothing was paid. Thanks to the taxpayers of the city),” he said.

The mayor described angioplasty as a minimally invasive procedure used to open blocked arteries in the heart, offering an alternative to open-heart surgery and allowing patients to recover and return home within days.

“Kapag barado po 'yung puso at hindi pa kayo due for bypass, at kaya naman ng angioplasty, 'yan po 'yung procedure (If the heart is blocked and you are not yet due for bypass surgery, and angioplasty is viable, that is the procedure),” he said.

Domagoso stressed that the service, typically costing between P800,000 and P1.5 million in private hospitals, will continue to be offered free of charge at the city-run hospital.

“Wala pong bayad ang angioplasty [sa ating pampublikong ospital], at tuloy-tuloy po 'yan (There is no cost for angioplasty in our public hospital, and this will continue),” he said.

Reflecting on the significance of the program, Domagoso said access to such medical services can spell the difference between life and death for poor patients.

“Maraming mahirap ang namamatay nang hindi nabibigyan ng patas na pagkakataon, at least pagkakataon man lamang, kasi kung nandiyan ang mga doktor, gamit, gamot, mabigyan siya ng patas na laban) Many poor people die without being given a fair chance, at least a chance, because if the doctors, equipment, and medicine are available, they should be given a fair fight,” he said.

The latest procedure follows two earlier successful angioplasties conducted in March 2026, after the city inaugurated its Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in September 2025 and began offering free angiogram services.

To sustain the program, Domagoso said the city has set aside nearly P25 million in standby funds for equipment procurement and maintenance.

He also recognized the medical team behind the procedure, led by Manila City Health Officer Dr. Grace Padilla, along with interventional cardiologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and radiologic technologists.