TARLAC CITY — The Tarlac City General Hospital, long anticipated by residents, will not be operational this year as previously claimed by the former city administration.
This was clarified by officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during a press briefing held at the 2.6-hectare hospital grounds on June 30, 2025.
The briefing, attended by newly-installed Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap, Department of Health Provincial Head Maria Noel Borromeo-Lim, and representatives from Tarlac Provincial Hospital, revealed that while construction is ongoing, the hospital still has significant work to be done, especially in its main building.
According to the DPWH, the hospital — originally envisioned to have a 108-bed capacity — may become operational by 2027 due to remaining construction work and budgetary gaps. To date, the project has incurred ₱1.135 billion in costs, with an additional ₱280 million needed to complete construction. For 2025, the remaining ₱180 million allocated for the hospital has yet to be bidded out and implemented.
NO FUNDING FOR EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, OR MANPOWER
Even if construction progresses with the 2025 budget, the hospital still lacks funds for essential equipment, furniture, and personnel. The Department of Health has only allocated ₱100 million for furniture and medical equipment. According to City Councilor Jude Joseph David, no funds were allocated by the previous administration for hospital staffing, and the former mayor even vetoed the city’s 2025 budget — leaving a major gap in operational planning.
FORMER MAYOR’S COMPANY CONFIRMED AS CONTRACTOR
DPWH officials confirmed that Northern Builders, the construction company associated with former Mayor Cristy Angeles, is the main contractor of the hospital. Based on Commission on Audit (COA) project billboards, Northern Builders handled several phases of the hospital’s construction, including multiple annexes with contract amounts ranging from ₱48 million to nearly ₱98 million per segment.
YAP: HOSPITAL WON’T BE READY BY 2025
Mayor Susan Yap stated that the hospital is far from ready, citing the absence of an approved operational plan, equipment, and licensed medical personnel.
“While the building for the Outpatient Department (OPD) may be completed soon, there’s no allocation for doctors or support staff. Without services, the building itself is meaningless,” she said.
Yap emphasized that proper licensing, procurement, and testing of hospital equipment take time, and stressed that quality and safety must not be sacrificed for speed.
YAP’S HEALTH AGENDA: MEGA RHUS AND UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
Instead of focusing on an incomplete facility, Yap said her administration will strengthen the city’s existing 10 Rural Health Units (RHUs) and construct three new Mega RHUs to improve health service delivery.
Anchored on the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, Yap aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenses by making essential medicines and services available at the RHU level. She also expressed openness to aligning services with the Tarlac Provincial Hospital (TPH) and its Service Delivery Network (SDN), especially if the city hospital remains limited to OPD services.
“Our goal is not just to build infrastructure but to deliver inclusive, quality, and sustainable healthcare,” Yap stressed. “Governance is a shared responsibility. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and work together for real transformation.”
