By Lane Afable, News Editor
The University of the Philippines continues to move toward bringing the Philippine General Hospital to Diliman, as the university explores the possibility of a partnership with the Quezon City government for its development, to bring world-class and affordable health care to more Filipinos.
A consultative meeting was held March 16, led by UP Vice President for Development Daniel Peckley Jr. and UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, with Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina Belmonte, to discuss the current status of the project since the proposal was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in 2023.
UP-PGH Diliman is envisioned to rise on a 4.2-hectare lot in the UP Diliman campus with a 400-bed capacity catering to more patients not only from Metro Manila but also from nearby provinces such as Bulacan and Rizal.
While UP-PGH is the largest and most advanced public tertiary hospital in the country, it is the only national referral center for tertiary care. Its current 10-hectare site in the UP Manila campus caters to more than 700,000 patients every year, and thousands of indigent Filipinos from all over the country turn to UP-PGH to access quality health services and medical assistance.
Republic Act No. 12210 enacted May 2025 has authorized the expansion of UP-PGH’s bed capacity from 1,334 to 2,200; however, it is still constrained by its limited space and overcrowding.
Amid Metro Manila’s growing population, UP-PGH’s planned expansion in Diliman seeks to complement and enhance not just the current capabilities of UP-PGH in Manila, but also of Department of Health hospitals — ensuring that top-quality health care reaches more Filipinos, especially patients from underserved communities.
UP-PGH Diliman will be a multispecialty facility composed of two 200-bed hospitals — one publicly operated by PGH and another operated by a private concessionaire — to be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership framework.
The complex will also include a parking building, an auxiliary building for laundry, waste management and disposal, and engineering, and a 1.8-hectare lot leasable for commercial development.
Aside from complementing the services offered by the UP Health Service, UP-PGH Diliman is expected to address the medical needs of the UP community through admissions and the provision of health care through the Enhanced Hospitalization Program or eHOPE for the university’s faculty and staff.
In Quezon City, Belmonte highlighted that the demand for hospital services is increasing despite the presence of the East Avenue Medical Center, the Quezon City General Hospital, and other medical centers in the area.
She expressed the city government’s interest in funding the construction of the specialized public charity hospital, as well as the expansion of services for elderly care and the prioritization of a mental health program — including the establishment of a transition facility to complement the existing services of the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong.
Atty. Joselito Conejero, head of Quezon City’s Housing Community Development and Resettlement Department, said that UP and Quezon City may explore the possibility of a usufruct agreement to pursue the partnership and facilitate funding from the local government. Peckley, meanwhile, noted a possible alternative through a joint venture agreement.
