Marcos honors late DMW chief Ople at OFW hospital groundbreaking

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. paid tribute to the late Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan V. Ople during the groundbreaking of a hospital in Pampanga on Tuesday.

Marcos honored Ople’s dedication to public service during his speech as he led the groundbreaking of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital–Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

“This endeavor is inspired by the vision of the late Susan Ople, who was our DMW Secretary and who dedicated her entire life to working for the rights of our workers and eventually also our migrant workers. ‘Til the day she died, I know this for a fact, ‘til the day that she died, she was still working for our OFWs,” Marcos said.

The President said Ople’s legacy of helping migrant workers will remain.

“And that is why we have to honor her memory and honor her legacy, and we do so today with this hospital. Her legacy reminds us to approach every patient with compassion and care, assuring them that they are not alone in their fight,” Marcos remarked.

Also, Marcos emphasized that the construction of the facility “would not have been possible without the support” of the Department of Health (DOH) through its Health Facility Enhancement Program.

He said the realization of the hospital project requires collective efforts from the DMW, DOH, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), other government agencies, and private partners.

“I look forward to the completion of this facility and the procurement of the necessary medical equipment. And we once again show, nothing is impossible when we unite together for a shared purpose,” he said.

Moreover, Marcos also paid tribute to the sacrifices and contributions of OFWs in the country’s economy, referring to them as modern-day heroes.

“It is with great pride and anticipation that I stand before you today to mark the beginning of a new chapter in our nation's commitment to our modern-day heroes—our Overseas Filipino Workers,” he said.

Marcos described each OFW as embodying “what it means to sacrifice and persevere.”

“When I think about OFWs, I think about their extraordinary strength, their determination, their dedication, the sacrifice and love that they have for their family,” he said.

“It is only fitting that we give them the care and support they deserve in return,” he added.

Since its inauguration in 2022, Marcos said the OFW Hospital in Pampanga has stood as a testament to the government’s commitment to care for and support modern-day heroes and their families.

The hospital’s daily outpatient capacity exceeds 160 patients. Vital areas like the reception and admitting sections have been repurposed as triage zones.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) ranked cancer as the second leading cause of death in the country, recorded from January to May 2024.

Hence, Marcos said the hospital’s second floor will be dedicated solely to cancer patients.

“Aggressive as this terrible disease is, we need to be equally aggressive in providing treatment for our patients—to give them hope, to provide them with care, make them feel at home, at the time when they need it the most. That is why the hospital’s second floor will be dedicated to the Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center,” he stressed.