AYALA Corp.’s healthcare business, AC Health, is investing close to P500 million over the next three years to modernize and integrate the newly rebranded Healthway Cebu Velez General Hospital (HCVGH), strengthening the Ayala Group’s push to scale up private healthcare capacity in the Visayas.
The health unit of the Ayala Group, through its Healthway Medical Network (HMN), formally relaunched the long-running Cebu Velez General Hospital as HCVGH after months of upgrades to align the 70-year-old institution with HMN’s clinical protocols, digital systems, and operational standards.
The move marks HMN’s latest expansion in Cebu, where it already operates a multi-specialty clinic and six corporate clinics, amid rising regional demand for modern medical services.
AC Health chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the transformation supports the group’s long-term strategy to build an integrated national healthcare network.
“This hospital has shaped generations of healthcare professionals and has touched countless lives here in Cebu. We are deeply honored to be part of this legacy,” he said at Friday’s, Dec. 5, 2025, launch.
AC Health president and chief executive officer (CEO) Paolo Borromeo said pairing Velez’s “deep roots” with HMN’s technology and service standards will bring “world-class care closer to families” in the region.
HMN president and CEO Jaime Ysmael added that the upgrade aims to preserve the hospital’s heritage while boosting its capacity to meet evolving health needs.
P500 million investment
According to AC Health, the P500 million investment will fund renovations of patient care areas, upgrades to operating rooms and delivery suites, expanded specialty centers, a new MRI and CT scan, and enhancements to outpatient clinics, laboratories, and other infrastructure. HMN said the modernization supports its ecosystem approach in Cebu, reinforced by Generika Drugstore’s province-wide network that expands access to affordable medicines.
HMN said no abrupt pricing changes or service disruptions are expected during the transition, noting that patients will continue to have access to existing insurance networks and care packages as the hospital works to broaden coverage over time.
The integration is also expected to create new jobs across clinical, diagnostic, and support roles as additional technologies and specialty centers come online. Staff will benefit from HMN-wide medical training, CME programs, and Ayala employee benefits under the practice–learn–teach–earn pathways for physicians.
HMN aims to position HCVGH as a multi-specialty referral hub for the Visayas, strengthening ophthalmology, women’s health, oncology, cardio-pulmonary care, and other high-demand services. Near-term priorities include boosting outpatient clinics, surgical capacity, imaging, laboratory services, and treatment units such as dialysis and chemotherapy. Longer-term plans include upgrades to inpatient and critical care units and enhancements to emergency and acute-care capabilities.
HMN said it plans to roll out more clinics, specialty centers, and hospital modernization projects nationwide, including public–private partnership ventures with local governments. As part of the relaunch, the network donated 1,000 prepaid Healthway Care Cards to Cebu City to support outpatient care for vulnerable residents.
AC Health said it remains open to working with other legacy hospitals in the Visayas but will be selective, focusing on institutions aligned with its commitment to accessible, patient-centered care. / KOC