Incumbent San Vicente mayor and gubernatorial bet Amy R. Alvarez vowed to attend to the proper management of Palawan’s district hospitals put up during the term of his father as governor, claiming these are being mismanaged under the present administration.
Mayor Alvarez, daughter of former governor and incumbent Rep. Jose Chavez Alvarez, raised concerns that these district hospitals “have not been taken care of and I will do that as soon as possible.”
The operation of the district hospitals has been the subject of a recent exchange between incumbent Governor Victorino Dennis M. Socrates and the elder Alvarez. Rep. Alvarez has claimed that the hospitals were being mismanaged, especially in the purchase of medicines despite having funds specifically allocated for it.
Socrates, however, stated during the Arampangan sa Kapitolyo last Friday, September 27, that the construction of so many hospitals was not necessary and that his administration “ had no choice but to do our best to continue to maintain and operate these hospitals.”
He also said he is looking at possible options on what to do with the hospitals, like turn over the operation to the Department of Health (DOH) and look for a possible public-private-partnership.
Meanwhile, the younger Alvarez said one of her priorities will be the district hospitals.
“That’s my first priority and my second priority is (in order) for the capitol to be efficient so that we can bring better services that we could to the whole Palawan because right now, capitol is not efficient,” Alvarez said in an interview with the media after filing her Certificate of Candidacy on Tuesday, October 1.
She likewise said she does not see that her father would interfere on how she would run the provincial government just like now in San Vicente.
“And never did he interfere with the way Gov. Dennis ran and is running the capitol today,” she noted.
“I am my own person, yet I am strong-willed and I will persevere, always try my best, and always find a way like there’s a solution to everything. I mean of course he’ll advise me but I am my own person and I will go around every single municipality,” she emphasized.
