Manila (8 July) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will inaugurate on Wednesday (July 9) the first five floors of the 11-storey Angeles University Foundation Medical Center (AUFMC) in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The medical tower was named after the President's mother, Dr. Evangelina Macapagal, a medical doctor by profession, and who, as the First Lady, founded many health centers and education centers for the poor.

An expansion project of the 19-year-old AUFMC, the Dr. Evangelina Macapagal Medical Tower, is set to be completed by 2010.

The new medical facility, which boasts of a modern neo-natal intensive care unit and operating/delivery room, as well as a wellness center, will provide specialized healthcare services in geriatric and pediatric medicine.

"Congratulations to the AUFMC on the occasion of the blessing and dedication of the Dr. Evangelina M. Macapagal Medical Tower. The Macapagal family is truly proud of the honor accorded to our dear mother who played an important role in advancing healthcare and education in the country, especially during her time as First Lady. She has carved a niche in the hearts of our country for her commitment to genuine service to the poor," the President said in her message issued in advance of the inaugural ceremony.

The President also lauded the "untiring efforts" of the AUFMC in "bringing quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare services" to the poor.

She pointed out that caring for the young, as well as the aging population, is a top priority of her administration's reform agenda.

AUFMC President and CEO Dr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles said that with the medical tower, more charity patients would be accommodated by the medical facility under its Indigency Program.