Thank you very much, Secretary Ted Herbosa. [Please take your seats.]

With us today is the host city for all of these very, very necessary facilities, ang Lungsod ng Quezon, ang ating butihing Mayor, Mayor Joy Belmonte; and a gentlemen who makes true the saying that the more things change, the more they stay the same because — it is my pleasure to greet the Executive Director of the Philippine Heart Center, Dr. Avenilo Aventura [applause] Jr.

So, we pledge today that the work that was done by your father together with my parents… Now, dahil tayo na ‘yung mga junior kailangan ‘yung junior kailangan maging kasing productive at kasing constructive ang ating pagsasama at pagtatrabaho kagaya nung ginawa ng ating mga ninuno. [applause]

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute Executive Director, Dr. Rose Marie Liquete; the Lung Center of the Philippines Executive Director, Dr. Vincent Balanag; all medical practitioners who are involved in the improvement, the transformation to our healthcare that we are trying to do; my fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, magandang tanghali po.

Let me first start by thanking everyone for taking time to witness today’s activities.

Speaking of time, it is perplexing that whenever we wish for a moment to linger, time slips through our fingers. Where does the time go? And yet, we long for something to end, time slows to a crawl.

So today, as we open the doors [to] Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service Center or BUCAS, we are not just inaugurating a new building. We are transforming how we handle critical moments when time is both our greatest enemy and our most valuable ally.

This center is not just a health facility.

It aims to bridge the gap between primary care facilities and higher-level health institutions by providing urgent health care services for minor surgeries and other ancillary services.

This ensures that focus shall be given to patients needing special care, while still providing proper medical services for those with less complicated cases.

Because our health cannot wait, these services will be provided throughout the week, including weekends. And I heard a rumor that in some areas ginawa ng 24 hours ang ating BUCAS Centers.

So when you or your loved ones come through these doors, you will find not just a place of care but a place of immediate, compassionate support.

The Philippine Heart Center or PHC has long been a symbol of hope and excellence in healthcare.

Established in 1975 under Presidential Decree No. 673, it was my father’s vision to create a place where top-notch medical care was delivered with dignity and with compassion. It was my mother’s driving force behind the specialty centers in the country.

For years, the PHC has remained steadfast in its commitment to save lives and alleviate the suffering of those with cardiovascular diseases.

Today, we honor that vision as we expand it.

With 31 BUCAS Centers nationwide as of September this year, we are not just keeping that promise within the walls of one building but we are spreading it to various places around the country. We are ready to respond, ready to care wherever and whenever needed.

For these are more than just about the number of centers, or the amount of funding. It is about replacing uncertainty and worry with a sense of reassurance that help is close by. It is about the lives that we change and the hope that we restore.

This network of care assures every Filipino—whether in the heart of the city or in the most remote province—that they are seen, valued, and cared for.

This Administration envisions a future where every Filipino, no matter where they live, has access to the urgent care that they need. A future where our healthcare system is proactive, not just reactive.

That future was made more possible by the PHC’s Education, Training and Research Simulation Facility, which is a first in the Philippines. It mimics realistic clinical scenarios for teaching and learning, allowing for better training for our healthcare workers.

So despite the challenges, you continue to persevere and to innovate, showing both passion and compassion. This is the reason why we granted the PHC PhP200.5 million that it can use to fund more projects that will benefit the Filipino people.

In the same vein, we also granted PhP185.2 million to the Lung Center of the Philippines and PhP134 million to the NKTI. These grants aim to further the excellence in disease prevention, diagnostics, and treatments. That is the record of those specialty hospitals.

Today, we provide Filipinos with hope. Hope that medical care is within their grasp because of what we have built here in what we come to call the Bagong Pilipinas.

Let us carry with us the understanding that our actions today will have a lasting impact. In ways that we may never see, lives will be changed because of what we have done.

Congratulations for all the very important work that you have done. And I know that it is your greatest satisfaction to see that we are able to continue to care for our people when they are in need. You may always count on this Administration to do everything that we possibly can to make these aspirations of ours come true.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat. Magandang tanghali po sa inyo. [applause]

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