Asian Hospital and Medical Center has opened a new Bayanihan Ward aimed at expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare, particularly for financially needy patients, as part of its push to support the country’s Universal Health Care goals.

The 29-bed Bayanihan Ward, located on the eighth floor of Tower 2, was formally opened on 26 January 2026. It includes 16 beds for adult medical and surgical patients, six beds for obstetrics and gynecology patients, six beds for pediatric patients, and one isolation bed.

The opening ceremony was led by Asian Hospital President and CEO Beaver Tamesis and attended by Rozzano Rufino Biazon, Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Palermo-Maestral, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation President Edwin Mercado, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Crisis Intervention Program Division Chief Artemio Bautista.

With the opening of the new ward, Asian Hospital’s total service ward capacity has increased to 34 beds, consisting of 29 beds in Tower 2 and five chemotherapy ward beds in Tower 1.

“This means that all of our medical, nursing, and allied health trainees will work in these two wards, allowing for more efficient and standardized services,” said Jose M. Acuin, director of the Asian Learning Institute and head of the Bayanihan Service Program.

The Bayanihan Ward is designed as a one-stop hub for service patients, with offices of the hospital’s training programs and Asian Hospital Charities Inc. located on the same floor.

“Our goal is to make our brand of globally recognized care accessible to as many Filipinos as possible. There is enough room to make care more affordable, and the more we expand access to this kind of care, the increasing volumes themselves will make care sustainable,” Acuin said.

Hospital officials said the ward reflects the spirit of bayanihan, emphasizing shared responsibility and community support as essential to achieving Universal Health Care.

“It also seals Asian Hospital’s commitment to provide ‘Alagang Deserve, Alagang Sulit,’ ensuring that every Filipino, regardless of status in life, can access the peerless medical care for which Asian Hospital is justly renowned,” Acuin added.

During the launch, Tamesis stressed that delivering healthcare requires a collective effort, noting that the medical community is ready to work together to serve all sectors of society.

Mayor Biazon welcomed the opening of the ward, citing healthcare as a key concern for Muntinlupa residents.

“I really like your tagline ‘Alagang Deserve, Alagang Sulit’ because this is what our people need. And seeing the facility that is afforded to them, it adds to their hope or feeling that they will be taken care of because of the quality of care that Asian Hospital is giving, which is now available to all,” Biazon said.

Palermo-Maestral said Asian Hospital “has set the bar very high” and expressed hope that Universal Health Care can be achieved with continued private sector participation.

Mercado described the Bayanihan Ward as “a step in the right direction” toward UHC, while Bautista said he hopes the model can be replicated in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Patients seeking admission to the Bayanihan Ward must first consult at the hospital’s Outpatient Health Services, where they will be evaluated by hospital residents and social workers. Only financially needy patients are eligible, with subsidies ranging from zero-balance billing under PhilHealth-only arrangements to discounted charges.

“We will make sure that procedures, tests, and medicines are packaged to keep costs low for patients in need of financial support,” Acuin said.

Asian Hospital Charities Inc., together with the hospital’s training departments, funds the Bayanihan service ward. The charity works with local government units and non-government organizations and is accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification. The hospital also plans to hold an annual Bayanihan Run to generate additional funding.

“We cannot just be a hospital. It is important that our footprint goes beyond our walls. Asian Hospital must be felt by our communities themselves,” Acuin said.