Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday visited the country’s first successful pediatric liver transplant performed in a government hospital.
The operation, involving a 9-year-old patient with biliary atresia, was carried out at the University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).
The effort was funded by the P30 million raised by the mayor, which was donated to the hospital to support life-saving pediatric surgeries.
Donations from private companies, philanthropic partners, and Domagoso’s personal talent fees helped him pool more than P30 million for UP-PGH in 2019. A substantial portion of the fund was earmarked for children with liver diseases, as the hospital aimed to send several young patients abroad for more affordable liver transplant procedures.
The remaining amount supported chemotherapy for pediatric cancer patients, with treatment costs ranging from P120,000 to P500,000 per child.
Much of the amount was also raised through a PGH Foundation golf tournament, along with contributions from Jag Jeans, Kenny Rogers, Seattle’s Best, and I.M. Coffee, as well as the mayor’s personal P1-million endorsement fee, which he directed to the hospital’s cancer ward.
UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi and UP Manila Chancellor Dr. Michael Tee were also present during Domagoso’s visit.
