Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, together with The Medical City (TMC) and Rizal Medical Center, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Thursday, April 16, to launch the Pasig Alliance for Organ Donation and Sharing (PAODS), a program aimed at boosting life-saving transplants and organ donation efforts in the city.
TMC said PAODS is a citywide collaborative initiative designed to improve access to transplants.
It establishes a coordinated framework to enhance the identification, management, and utilization of deceased organ donors in Pasig City.
The program also unites public and private healthcare institutions to address the growing need for organ donation and reduce mortality among patients on transplant waitlists.
All activities under PAODS will comply with national laws, including the Organ Donation Act of 1991, and adhere to international ethical standards. Patient dignity, informed consent, and data privacy will remain central to all processes.
Mayor Sotto emphasized the urgency of the initiative, noting the struggles of families forced to travel abroad for transplant care.
“Through the years, I’ve seen so many families, especially those with small children, struggle to raise funds and even lose their jobs because they had to go abroad for a life-saving transplant,” he said.
“With the Pasig Alliance for Organ Donation and Sharing, we will save lives through organ transplants. Ang pinakamaganda pa rito, imbes na mag-abroad pa, dito lang sa Pasig gagawin ang transplant,” he added.
Under the agreement, the three institutions will collaborate on public awareness, clinical coordination, and capacity building.
Each hospital will maintain its in-house organ donation program while coordinating through focal persons and shared systems.
A Pasig City Organ Donation Coordination Committee will also be established to oversee operations, training, and monitoring.
Dr. Vanessa H. De Villa, head of the Center for Liver Health and Transplant at TMC, said the program is an opportunity to “effect change and make a difference” as the country continues to have low organ donation rates globally.
Rizal Medical Center chief II Dr. Maria Rica Lumague stressed that organ donation is a shared responsibility requiring unity, precision, and compassion. She noted that the TMC–RizalMed collaboration has already yielded three successful liver transplants with zero mortality.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa underscored the need for nationwide collaboration, calling on private hospitals to follow TMC’s lead in public-private partnerships.
Dr. Stuart Bennett, President and Group CEO of TMC, said the alliance could serve as a model for other cities.
The TMC added that PAODS builds on its existing partnership with RizalMed through their joint liver transplant program, which has already enabled life-saving procedures for pediatric patients.
With the alliance now formalized, the program aims to expand its reach and impact across Pasig City and beyond. (Richielyn Canlas)
