CLINIC ON THE HILLS
A newly opened rural clinic in Ilocos Sur highlights India’s growing development partnership with the Philippines at the community level.
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A newly opened rural clinic in Ilocos Sur highlights India’s growing development partnership with the Philippines at the community level.
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India recently turned over a newly constructed health station in Barangay Aluling, a remote community in Ilocos Sur, marking one of the first completed projects under the India-Philippines Quick Impact Projects assistance program.
Indian Ambassador Harsh Kumar Jain formally handed the facility during ceremonies attended by provincial officials, DILG representatives, barangay leaders and community health workers.
The health station, constructed at a cost of P2.5 million through Indian grant assistance, is expected to serve more than 1,700 residents of Barangay Aluling and neighboring villages by expanding access to primary healthcare services in the mountainous municipality.
The project is among six initiatives launched under the first cycle of the India-Philippines Quick Impact Projects framework, established through memorandum of agreement signed in 2024 between the Embassy of India and DILG.
In remarks during the turnover ceremony, Ambassador Jain said the project reflected the broader strategic partnership between India and the Philippines, which both governments have increasingly framed around economic cooperation, development and regional ties.
He also commended local officials and the DILG for completing the project on schedule, a notable achievement in rural infrastructure programs where delays often stretch for months or years because of procurement issues, funding interruptions and difficult terrain.
Governor Jeremias Singson thanked the Indian government for supporting health services in Cervantes and described the project as an example of international cooperation benefiting underserved communities.
