The City Government of San Fernando, led by Mayor Vilma Caluag, held the groundbreaking ceremony for the City of San Fernando People’s Hospital on September 25, 2025, at the City Civic Center compound in Barangay San Isidro.
The event marked the start of construction for the hospital.
Caluag, Vice Mayor Aurelio Brenz Gonzales, and members of the 9th Sangguniang Panlungsod committed to initiate the project within their first 100 days in office.
Caluag, who also serves as the Technical Working Group (TWG) chairperson, said the construction of a dedicated public hospital stands as a testament to her administration’s proactive response to the growing healthcare needs of Fernandinos and to the global call for Universal Health Care and accessible services for all.
She emphasized that the hospital will implement a No Balance Billing policy for all patients.
The mayor commended the City Health Office, under the leaalth Officer Dr. Rowena Salas, for working tirelessly to fulfill the project’s logistical requirements.
The CSFP People’s Hospital is set to rise in a 7,500-square-meter land owned by the City Government and a donated 2,500-square-meter parcel within the Civic Center compound, where the Fernandino Dialysis Center, Rural Health Unit VI, and Command-and-Control Center are located.
The hospital is designed as a Level 1 healthcare facility with an initial 99-bed capacity.
The hospital's location is also the same space where the Kayabe Infirmary is also planned to be built.
The CSF People's Hospital will offer emergency care, outpatient consultations, inpatient clinical services, a delivery room, surgical facilities, a pharmacy, a dental clinic, and diagnostic and laboratory services.
Plans are already in place to prepare the facility for an upgrade to a Level 2 hospital in the future, the local government said.
The People’s Hospital will be allotted ₱50 million initial funding from the national government this year through the Department of Budget and Management’s Local Government Support Fund.
A larger allotment of ₱350 million is set to be provided by the national government in 2026.
Caluag expressed gratitude to former Pampanga Third District Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr., and Incumbent Congresswoman Mica Gonzales, for lobbying for the hospital’s funding.
Architect Geezain Nuñez Camiling donated a parcel of land (2,500 square meters) owned by his family adjacent to the hospital site at the Civic Center.
Camiling cited the "urgent need for generosity and solidarity in addressing healthcare challenges."
For his “invaluable generosity and steadfast support," Camiling was recognized by Caluag during the event.
One of the hospital’s primary goals is to help decongest other public hospitals in the city, particularly the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH).
The hospital is also expected to address the shortage of hospital beds and healthcare service disparities.
The city government implemented the project in partnership with the Department of Health through the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program.
During the event, Caluag and Vice Mayor Gonzales were joined by Councilors Noel Tulabut, Reggie “G4” David, Harvey Quiwa, Tino Dizon, Ate Kay Pineda, Angelo Hizon, Jr., Jay Cuyugan, Mark Joseph Carreon, Jayson Castro Sicat, and Elmer Bengco.
Also present during the groundbreaking rites were City General Services Officer and Acting City Administrator Michael Quizon, Jr., City Focal Person for Health and Social Services Mary Ann Biliwang, City Engineer Anele David, and other department heads. 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈