His Excellency Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, visited Taguig City as part of his State Visit to the Philippines to reinforce bilateral relations focusing on sustainability, healthcare, and economic collaboration.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano warmly welcomed President Tharman and his spouse Mrs. Jane Shanmugaratnam, and his delegation of key officials including Members of Parliament Mr. Henry Kwek and Ms. Mariam Jaafar, and Ambassador Constance See, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Philippines.
In his remarks during a ceremony held at Taguig’s SM Aura Office Tower in BGC, Fort Bonifacio, President Tharman underscored the importance of investing in maternal health and early childhood development, particularly during the first two years of life.
He pointed out that it is the collective responsibility of parents, communities, and the medical community to ensure that all children, particularly those who are at risk of developmental issues, are given the best start in life.
“I’m so happy that we are doing this together. The good comes in the doing, not just in policymaking, not just in having a strong enunciation about the importance of this intervention. The good comes in the doing. And that requires partnership. It requires committed partnerships, in your case, the Mayor and the team in Taguig City, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, who has the experts, Temasek Foundation, who is helping to make this possible and everyone else who’s involved,” President Tharman said.
Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano proudly shared the initiatives already undertaken by the City to improve healthcare, adding that the agreements entered into are not just formalities but “powerful symbols of our shared dedication to advancing maternal and child health in the Philippines.”
She affirmed Taguig’s vision of being a Transformative, Lively, and Caring City, and how this partnership with Singapore aligns with that vision:
“As we embark on this journey, you can be assured that Taguig will approach this partnership with the same dedication and determination that have defined our progress over the years. We are always committed when it comes to opportunities that can elevate the standard of living for our people.”
The visit also included a presentation on the ongoing Maternal and Child Health collaboration between Taguig City and Singapore’s Temasek Foundation and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. This collaboration seeks to improve healthcare services and infrastructure in Taguig, particularly in maternal and child health.
Earlier on Friday, the City of Taguig signed two major healthcare agreements intended to enhance maternal and child health services and expand access to underserved communities.
The first initiative, a Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership led by CareSpan Asia Inc. and Temasek Foundation, is set to provide primary healthcare access to 350,000 underserved residents of Taguig through an advanced Digital Health care platform.
The second initiative, in collaboration with the SingHealth Duke-NUS Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), focuses on improving key health indicators, infrastructure planning, and capacity building in Taguig’s maternal and child health facilities.
