Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Manila 5th District Representative Irwin Tieng, with the help and encouragement of the Marcos administration, will soon be leaving a concrete legacy in the area of healthcare for the residents of Manila—the Gov. Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez Cancer Center in Malate.
Congressman Tieng thanked Mayor Lacuna and the City Council for their decision to allot some 2,000 square meters of land inside the Ospital ng Maynila (OM) compound for the construction of the free cancer facility.
Officially called the Manila Cancer Center (MCC), the groundbreaking rites for the building were held seven months ago, coinciding with the city’s foundation anniversary last June.
Special guest at the event was House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, a son of Governor Kokoy, who happily accepted the honor bestowed by the city officials on his late father. Kokoy Romualdez, who served as governor of Leyte and ambassador to the United States and Saudi Arabia, was a victim of cancer. He was also one of the prominent citizens of Manila, having established businesses in the city, among them a number of newspapers.
At the groundbreaking rites, Speaker Martin Romualdez praised city officials for their solidarity with the goal of the Marcos administration to leave behind a legacy of healthcare. He cited the future MCC as a place “where the poorest among us can access top-tier medical care without the fear of financial ruin.” The city’s cancer center is designed to give free treatment for Manilans and even residents of other towns and cities who are in need.
Romualdez was no stranger to cancer. He himself saw how cancer can cause great pain and suffering for patients, as his father Kokoy struggled fighting the disease, eventually succumbing to cancer in February, 2012.
The Speaker said: “I have first-hand knowledge on this, losing my father to this dreaded disease. Here and now, I commit to fully support the completion of this medical facility that bears his name. This is another step in the realization of the promise for a more efficient healthcare system.”
Tieng’s health projects
In the Kokoy Romualdez Cancer Center, Congressman Tieng and Mayor Lacuna are in solid partnership. Lacuna provided the land, while Tieng provided the funds for its construction and initial equipment needs.
Since the funds for the MCC are limited, it will initially have a CT scan and a linear accelerator to provide patients with non-invasive radiation therapy, the congressman said.
Tieng’s projects in the city’s fifth district are focused on health services and livelihood training. His mobile clinic has rendered consultations and treatment to thousands of patients at the Rosario Reyes Health Center, BASECO Health Center, Pedro Gil Health Center and Icasiano Health Center lately.
Among the free services given are chest X-ray, ultrasound for the abdomen, liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, kidney, spleen, pancreas and prostate among others.
Irwin Tieng also facilitates training of drivers, chefs and kitchen staff with the help of TESDA.
Remembering Kokoy
Just before he died, I remember bumping into my former boss Ambassador Kokoy Romualdez at the Ilustrado restaurant in Intramuros, near the Manila Bulletin where I worked then. I reminded Kokoy that I used to be a deskman in his People’s Journal, People’s Tonight and Taliba, under editors Gus Villanueva and Vergel Santos.
Kokoy shared his daily routine of praying or hearing mass at the Manila Cathedral, which was nearby too. He said he was preparing himself for the inevitable.
To me, Kokoy was the indefatigable publisher/newspaper owner who was one of the boys, eating and sleeping in the newsroom with Gus, Vergel, and Max Buan. He always wore white, and did not wear any socks.
This was the time when all the bigwigs in People’s Journal, me included, had soft boat shoes which are comfortably worn without any socks. Sort of gaya-gaya with the owner-boss.
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