MAYOR Belen Fernandez’s announcement that the Maternity and Children’s Hospital will finally be realized this year is more than just good news—it is a long-overdue victory for the people of Dagupan. A jubilant reaction from mothers and families across the city reflects not only relief but also vindication after years of unnecessary delay caused by political obstruction.

For too long, Dagupan residents watched a vital health project languish, not because of a lack of funding or national support, but because of partisan maneuvering at the local level.

Recall that in 2024, a P150-million allocation from the national government was shamefully reverted after the former majority council failed to authorize Mayor Fernandez to sign a required memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health.

That inaction had nothing to do with public interest. It was rooted in a calculated effort to deny the Fernandez administration the credit for a project originally negotiated during the term of their political ally, former Mayor Brian Lim, who was eyeing a return to City Hall as vice mayor, with his mother as mayor.

Adding insult to injury, the same seven majority councilors attempted to derail the project further by proposing that the hospital be located at a site vacated by the Land Transportation Office—an idea floated too late, after the legal grace period for accessing the funds had already expired.

The consequences of this political brinkmanship were borne not by politicians, but by ordinary citizens—pregnant women, newborns, and families in need of accessible and specialized care.

A maternity and children’s hospital is not a political trophy; it is a basic public service that should never have been held hostage to ambition and rivalry.

Today, there is renewed hope. With fresh and increased funding earmarked in the 2026 General Appropriations Act, and with the political landscape now changed—where all but one of the obstructionist councilors were rejected by voters—there is strong assurance that the project will finally move forward.

This development serves as a clear reminder: governance must always place people above politics. Dagupan’s mothers and children deserve nothing less. #