Metro Pacific to make tender offer for Asian Hospital shares

Holding firm Metro Pacific Investments Corp. wants to buy the remaining shares in Asian Hospital held by individual investors.   Metro Pacific told the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday it will hold a tender offer for about 43.5 percent in Asian Hospital.   "All the shares tendered shall be purchased by the bidder at the highest price per share paid for AHI shares acquired from the sellers," the company said.   Last November, Metro Pacific bought 57-percent equity in Asian Hospital by acquiring the 532.58 million shares under the name of Bumrungrad International Philippines Inc. for P732 million.   The holding firm also bought the 473.15 million shares under the name of Neptune Stroika Holdings Inc., for P601 million, and the 88.55 million shares under the name of Asian Hospital Inc. for about P123 million, which completes the 57- percent stake in Asian Hospital.   AHI is the sixth hospital of Metro Pacific, and its fourth in Metro Manila after Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Sta. Mesa, Manila.   Metro Pacific also holds equity in Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod and Davao Doctors Hospital in Mindanao.   With the acquisition of AHI, the Metro Pacific Hospital Group will have more than 1,800 beds in the Philippines. — VS, GMA News