The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board has approved a plan to build a P6-billion Cancer Center in the Philippine capital — the first public-private partnership (PPP) under the Marcos government, according to the presidential palace.
“It will be solicited from the public through the submission of a bid and will be structured as a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement under the BOT Law,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.
The BOT Law gives a concession to a private partner to finance, build and operate a project over a fixed term. The project will then be turned over to the state once the contract ends.
The 300-bed capacity hospital for cancer patients inside University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital ground in Manila will offer “comprehensive, high-quality and affordable oncology services,” the palace said.
The center will be built on a 3,000-square meter lot.
“The UP-PGH’s private partner will design, engineer, construct and commission the entire new hospital building,” the palace said.
The palace said the private entity will also maintain all nonclinical services for the hospital building, operate commercial activities, provide clinical services to private-paying patients and assume all associated costs of clinical manpower, drugs and consumables.
UP-PGH will provide the site at no cost, transfer the existing equipment to the Cancer Institute and provide clinical services to nonpaying charity patients, it added. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
