Private foundation commits P200 million for South Cotabato hospitals

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October 17, 2026 | 4:16pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Officials launched on Friday, October 16, the construction of the Koronadal City Infirmary, funded by a private benefactor that has allocated P200 million for the improvement of health services in different areas in South Cotabato province.

Koronadal City, which has 27 barangays, is the capital of South Cotabato, one of the four provinces in Region 12 and whose now third-term governor, Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr., is chairperson of the multi-sector and inter-agency Regional Peace and Order Council 12.

Tamayo told reporters on Saturday that he is grateful to the management of the Melco Resorts Foundation, most known by its acronym MRF, for having earmarked P200 million from its coffer for projects meant to boost health services for the Muslim, Christian and the indigenous communities in South Cotabato, which has 10 towns, and in Koronadal City, the seat of its provincial government.

Local executives and representatives from the Koronadal City Health Office, the South Cotabato Provincial Health Office and the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, or SMI, together launched the construction of the Koronadal City Infirmary, something first in all of the four cities in Region 12.

Tamayo said the SMI, also spending big amounts of money for its separate community-empowerment and humanitarian activities in South Cotabato for about two decades now, is the MRF’s bridge to their provincial government.

Tamayo said the SMI was instrumental in securing MRF’s focus on public service projects in South Cotabato.

Tamayo, and representatives from the SMI, Oscar Contreras, chief corporate communications officer, Joseph Palanca, corporate communications superintendent, and their community relations staff, Hans Valenzuela, were present in Friday’s symbolic launching of the Koronadal City Infirmary project in one of the barangays in Koronadal City.

"We are grateful to the Melco Resorts Foundation and the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated for these hospital projects. We in South Cotabato can't thank both entities enough," Tamayo said.

Tamayo’s counterpart in Cotabato province, Gov. Emmylou Mendoza, who is presiding chairperson of the Regional Development Council 12, said she appreciates the joint pro-poor programs of South Cotabato’s provincial government, the MRF and the SMI.

Tamayo and members of the RPOC 12 and the Mendoza-led RDC 12 residing in Koronadal City, representing the business and religious sectors and the indigenous tribes to both regional councils, confirmed to reporters on Saturday that the MRF shall spend P100 million for the expansion of the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital into a three-storey facility, P50 million for the Koronadal City Infirmary project and P50 million more for the establishment of a district hospital in Tantangan town.

Tamayo, representatives from the SMI and municipal and provincial health officials will lead on Monday the launching of the Tantangan District Hospital project in Tantangan's municipal center, not too distant from Koronadal City, which is also the regional capital of Region 12.