Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced Friday that the city government has allocated more than P16.8 million to fund life-saving medical procedures for 13 children.

The financial assistance covers a range of complex surgeries at local and international facilities. Eight children are scheduled for liver transplants in India, four will undergo heart operations at the Philippine Heart Center, and one patient is set for surgery to treat a chronic kidney condition at Chinese General Hospital.

The city government earmarked approximately P13.3 million for the liver transplants, P3.3 million for the heart operations and P173,600 for the kidney procedure.

During a “Talk to the Patients” session, Domagoso urged the families to thank God and the taxpayers of Manila for making the funding possible despite the city’s fiscal constraints.

“We’ll do our best, even though we are very tight as a city. However, the lives of your children are at stake,” the mayor said.

Domagoso explained that the funds would be deposited directly to the healthcare providers in India and the Philippines. He encouraged families to photograph copies of the checks as proof of payment.

For those traveling to India, he advised parents to save their personal funds for post-operative care and recovery needs.

The mayor assured the families of the city’s continued support, noting that the taxpayers had shouldered the most significant financial burden for the procedures. He ended the session by encouraging the families to remain hopeful and to pray for the success of the upcoming operations.