THE Mother and Child Hospital that would have brought immeasurable relief to mothers and their children in Dagupan City over their health concerns is lost.

The credit for it belongs to the seven councilors who were dead set on stopping it for the past three years. Celebrating city’s loss today are Councilors Dada Reyna-Macalanda, Celia Chua-Lim, Red Erfe-Mejia, Alfie Fernandez, Alvin Coquia, Irene Lim-Acosta and Marilou Fernandez.  It’s no secret that the decision of the national government to withdraw the project did for them what they long wished for the city – NO Mother and Child Hospital under the Belen Fernandez administration.

The loss of the unique hospital was unprecedented as it was withdrawn not because of the lack of capability of the city government to establish and operate the hospital but because of sheer petty politics.  The seven councilors were not even coy about their dubious motive when they withheld the adoption of a simple resolution from the Sangguniang Panlungsod affirming its concurrence for as long as they did. They finally but reluctantly passed the resolution when the Department of Health lowered the boom on the city council about losing the hospital project and the councilors would be blamed for it.

Mayor Belen Fernandez presented possible compromises that would be acceptable to the seven councilors if only to beat the three-year deadline but that obviously was not good enough. Consequently, the city government was compelled to return the P150 million that it received from the DOH for the project that was considered unaccomplished by the Marcos Jr administration.

At the same time, the MCH project was doomed when it fit into the agenda of the Marcos Jr. administration and was out to generate as much funds for the national treasury to support unprogrammed projects. Recall that the preparation of the 2025 General Appropriations Act came into question precisely because of the unusual policy of the Marcos Jr. administration.

The DOH and the city government were still optimistic that the MCH would proceed despite the delayed compliance of the city council but it was not to be.

So, the communities in Dagupan City only have the seven councilors to blame for depriving them of access to a hospital with medical services dedicated to the welfare of mothers and children.

As Mayor Fernandez aptly called them, they epitomized ‘unlipwerwisyo’, a political agenda without precedence not only in Dagupan City but in many towns and cities.

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