Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso led the inauguration of the newly upgraded emergency room at Ospital ng Sampaloc on Monday, completing the project ahead of his publicly stated 90 day commitment and putting speed and basic public service back at the center of city governance.
Moreno said the upgrade reflects his administration’s Bilis Kilos approach, arguing that delays in emergency care cost lives and dignity. “I told you 90 days. I committed it to the people of Sampaloc. Basta bigyan niyo lang ako ng 90 days. But I’m happy, natapos agad bago mag-90 days,” he said.
The mayor recalled long standing safety problems in public hospital emergency rooms, describing conditions that endangered patients and health workers alike.
“Saan ka nakakita ng emergency room, check, merong falls dahil may tulo. Literal. Naawa nga ako dun sa isang binatilyo, hindi niya maiwan yung nanay niya sa tabi mismo ng hospital bed, may tabo. And we are the Capital of the country, we are the City of Manila,” Moreno said.
He said such conditions made it impossible to demand professionalism and compassion from frontline workers. “How can I say to my fellow co-workers in government if I give them that kind of working environment tapos sasabihin ko mag-smile sila. Ngumiti kayo sa pasyente habang kayo’y hinahampas ng bagyo,” he said.
The upgraded emergency room now includes clearly marked triage and treatment areas, nurse stations, minor operating rooms, modern hospital beds, and an embedded oxygen system. Support facilities such as a pharmacy window and accessible restrooms were also added, aimed at faster patient flow and safer care.
Moreno said the changes are meant to remove fear from entering a public hospital. “Ngayon, pagpasok mo ha, pumapasok ka pa lang nabubuhay ka na. Totoo naman, nung araw nakakatakot pumasok sa public hospital talaga. Tingin mo nagdidilim na ang paningin mo, lalong dumidilim ang buhay mo,” he said.
He linked the hospital upgrade to what he described as a broader focus on minimum basic needs, especially healthcare, alongside improvements in the working conditions of city medical staff. “I hope this type of facility, especially to our employees, will give you a certain level of better working environment, at the very least,” he said.
Moreno also used the event to highlight the recent release of long delayed Health Emergency Allowance payments to contact tracers and medical frontliners, some of whom received as much as ₱72,000 after waiting nearly three years. He credited city employees who worked weekends to trace misplaced checks and complete the releases.
“We’ve released it last Friday. Signed it, and awa ng Diyos, for a simple stroke of a pen. Ganoon po kadali. Hindi po mahirap yung ginawa ko. Napakasimple lang po nung ginawa ko nung dumating yung papel. Tinta lang ang puhunan, resolba na yung tatlong taong hinagpis ng ating health workers,” Moreno said.
He added that payments were already distributed to beneficiaries last Saturday. “And I’m happy to share last Saturday, paldo yung mga may HEA. Opo, ganoon mo, three years oh. Hindi gumapang, hindi gumalaw yung papel nila. But they worked for it, even to the point that some of them got infected during the COVID-19,” he said.
The inauguration placed the spotlight on Moreno’s push for faster execution and visible outcomes in public health, pairing infrastructure upgrades with overdue compensation for frontline workers as part of his administration’s effort to restore confidence in Manila’s public hospitals.
