For 67-year-old Second Lieutenant (Ret.) Felix Lalong-isip, the newly inaugurated Veterans Access to Lifetime Optimized Healthcare (VALOR) Clinic in Lipa City is more than just a facility—it’s a long-overdue lifeline.
Lalong-isip expressed his gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for expanding the VALOR Clinic, calling it a significant help not only for himself and his family but also for fellow retired officers facing health challenges.
“Mr. President, thank you so much po na nabigyan niyo kami dito ng VALOR Veterans Memorial Medical at napakalaking tulong po nito sa amin na mga retired at sa aking asawa na nagche-check up din sa Veterans,” said Lalong-isip. The retiree dedicated 28 years of his life to the Philippine Air Force, serving in nearly every province across Mindanao before retiring in 2006.
“At ngayon ay nandito na sa Lipa (ang VALOR Clinic), hindi na kami kailangan pumunta pa sa Quezon City. Ang habol namin ay oras para makapagpa-check up. Ngayon ay nandito na. Maraming maraming salamat po Mr. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” the retired PAF officer noted.
Since he retired, Lalong-isip has had to face personal health battles. In 2015, he underwent surgery for colon cancer, followed by another operation in 2018 to address a thyroid condition—both performed at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.
“Dati, alas-dos ng madaling araw ako umaalis mula Lipa papuntang Veterans sa Quezon City. Minsan, pang-200 o pang-300 na ako sa pila. Tanghali na bago ako macheck-up,” Lalong-isip recalled.
“Ngayon, I’m so proud na magkakaroon na kami ng Veterans extension dito sa Lipa,” Lalong-isip said.
Veterans and medical frontliners alike have welcomed the VALOR Clinic as a milestone initiative under the leadership of President Marcos, who has been recognized for addressing long-standing access barriers to specialized healthcare services for veterans and their families.
According to Dr. Al Azarcon, chief program manager of the VALOR Clinics, the Lipa facility alone is expected to serve 7,000 to 10,000 veterans and dependents in Batangas and nearby areas.
“There is only one veterans hospital in the country—VMMC in Quezon City—but we have more than 400,000 veterans nationwide, and around 4,000 more retire every year,” Dr. Azarcon said.
“Not everyone can afford to travel to Manila. The VALOR program was created to regionalize and decentralize care for our veterans,” Dr. Azarcon explained.
With more clinics in the pipeline, the VALOR program reflects the Marcos administration’s broader goal of honoring the service of Filipino veterans with tangible, sustained support, ensuring that no one who served is left behind. | PND
