{"id":647352,"date":"2014-10-28T13:30:05","date_gmt":"2014-10-28T05:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/?p=647352"},"modified":"2014-10-28T13:35:11","modified_gmt":"2014-10-28T05:35:11","slug":"what-will-it-take-for-nha-to-donate-land-to-childrens-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/647352\/what-will-it-take-for-nha-to-donate-land-to-childrens-hospital","title":{"rendered":"What will it take for NHA to donate land to children\u2019s hospital?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NHA<\/a>

NHA General Manager Chito Cruz. Photo from nha.gov.ph<\/p><\/div>\n

MANILA,\u00a0 Philippines \u2014 The National Housing\u00a0 Authority \u00a0 (NHA)\u00a0 expressed\u00a0 readiness on Tuesday\u00a0 to donate\u00a0 to the Philippine\u00a0 Children\u2019s\u00a0 Medical Central (PCMC) the\u00a0 3.7-hectare\u00a0 land\u00a0 it is currently occupying\u00a0 in Quezon City but\u00a0which belongs to the NHA if the President would\u00a0 issue a proclamation.<\/p>\n

NHA General Manager\u00a0Chito Cruz\u00a0gave this\u00a0commitment during the hearing of the Senate\u00a0committee on health\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0long contested land being occupied by the PCMC.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026If the President issues a proclamation where NHA will donate it to the PCMC, you will abide?\u201d asked Senator Loren\u00a0Legarda.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes of course,\u201d Cruz\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we call on\u00a0the President to donate the land to the PCMC\u2026,\u201d\u00a0said Legarda, who received applause from the crowd inside the hearing room.<\/p>\n

When also asked by Senator\u00a0Teofisto\u00a0 Guingona III, chairman\u00a0 of the committee,\u00a0 if the NHA would also comply should the Department of Justice\u00a0 issue a legal opinion , saying\u00a0 that it would\u00a0 be ok to give the\u00a0 property to the PCMC,\u00a0Cruz answered yes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk. We have two options now. One is a presidential proclamation which you said\u00a0you would comply. Second, a DOJ opinion and third is\u00a0law\u2026 \u201d Guingona said but quick to add that the third option would be a long process as it would\u00a0 have to go through approval\u00a0 of both chambers of Congress.<\/p>\n

But Cruz said the fourth\u00a0option was for the Senate to simply give the PCMC a budget so it could\u00a0 settle\u00a0its obligations with the NHA.<\/p>\n

Interviewed by reporters after the hearing,\u00a0Guingona said he would\u00a0talk to Justice Secretary\u00a0 Leila de Lima\u00a0to come up with a legal opinion\u00a0 on the issue before Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes kakausapin natin si Sec. De Lima para before Christmas malabas na \u2018yung ruling\u00a0 na para sa PCMC na \u2018yung lupa (I will talk to Sec. De Lima before Christmas so that the ruling that the land is for the PCMC will come out in time),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guingona said the PCMC should not be evicted from its\u00a0current\u00a0location for the sake of the\u00a0thousands\u00a0of poor patients\u00a0who benefit from it.<\/p>\n

The PCMC has been occupying the land for 34 years before the NHA demanded it to purchase the estate for P1.1 billion.<\/p>\n\n

The PCMC treats over 60,000 patients annually, most of whom come from poor families. Paying patients are only allocated 70 of 260 hospital beds, what with the yearly increase in the rate of impoverished or service patients.<\/p>\n

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