Marcos honors Susan Ople at OFW hospital groundbreaking in Pampanga

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. remembered the late Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople during the groundbreaking of the OFW Hospital-Bagong Pilipinas Cancer Care Center in San Fernando, Pampanga on Tuesday.

In his speech, Marcos said the initiative was ''inspired by the vision'' of Ople, who had championed for the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.

“This endeavor is inspired by the vision of the late Susan Ople, who was our DMW Secretary and who dedicated her entire life to working for the rights of our workers and eventually also our migrant workers. ‘Til the day she died, I know this for a fact; ‘til the day that she died, she was still working for our OFWs,” Marcos said.

“And that is why we have to honor her memory and honor her legacy, and we do so today with this hospital. Her legacy reminds us to approach every patient with compassion and care, assuring them that they are not alone in their fight,” he added.

Ople passed away in August 2023.

Marcos also said the construction of the facility would not have been possible without the support of the Department of Health (DOH) through its Health Facility Enhancement Program.

He added that the completion of the project would require the collective efforts of the DMW, the DOH, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as well as other government agencies and private partners.

“I look forward to the completion of this facility and the procurement of the necessary medical equipment. And we once again show that nothing is impossible when we unite together for a shared purpose,” Marcos said.

“When I think about OFWs, I think about their extraordinary strength, their determination, their dedication, and the sacrifice and love that they have for their family. They embody what it means to sacrifice and persevere. It is only fitting that we give them the care and support they deserve in return,” he said. — VBL, GMA Integrated News