Pasig, The Medical City, RizalMed launch program to boost organ transplants | The Medical City

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Pasig City, The Medical City, and Rizal Medical Center Unite to Bring Organ Transplant Care Within Reach

By The Medical City (TMC), Ortigas | April 16, 2026

Pasig City, The Medical City, and Rizal Medical Center Unite to Bring Organ Transplant Care Within Reach

Pasig Alliance for Organ Donation and Sharing (PAODS) is a citywide initiative by the Pasig City Government, Rizal Medical Center, and The Medical City to improve access to life-saving organ transplants.

Pasig City, Philippines, April 16, 2026 — The City Government of Pasig, Rizal Medical Center (RizalMed), and The Medical City (TMC) have formalized a partnership to strengthen organ donation efforts through the launch of the Pasig Alliance for Organ Donation and Sharing (PAODS), a citywide collaborative program aimed at improving access to life-saving transplants.

The initiative establishes a coordinated framework to enhance the identification, management, and utilization of deceased organ donors in Pasig City, bringing together public and private healthcare institutions to address the growing need for organ donation and reduce transplant waitlist mortality.


Dr. Stuart Bennett, President and Group CEO of The Medical City


“What we’re doing at the city level is very, very important, and I’m sure it yields fruit,” said Dr. Stuart Bennett, President and Group CEO of TMC. “I’m sure, as with everything, it will be an example for other cities that will also take up that mantle. It’s not about competition, it’s about collaboration.”


Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto

Mayor Vico Sotto emphasized the urgency of the initiative, noting the heartbreak of families who have had to travel as far as India to access transplant care. “This partnership is very meaningful, if not historic,” he said. “We have a lot more to do, but more than anything, we look forward to the lives that we will save, especially the children, through this collaboration.”

Under the agreement, the three institutions will work together across key areas, including public awareness, clinical coordination, and capacity building. The program promotes organ donation awareness among communities and healthcare professionals, establishes coordinated referral pathways for potential multi-organ donors, and strengthens training for medical teams involved in donor identification and management.


Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of Rizal Medical Center

“Organ donation is not the work of a single department. It is a shared responsibility that calls for unity, precision, and compassion,” said Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of RizalMed. “Let this partnership be our promise that in Pasig City, no opportunity to save a life will be lost.”

Dr. Lumague noted that the TMC-RizalMed collaboration has already delivered results: since the two institutions began working together, they have completed three successful liver transplant operations with zero percent mortality. “That deserves recognition,” she said.

To support implementation, each institution will maintain its in-hospital organ donation program while coordinating through designated focal persons and shared systems. A Pasig City Organ Donation Coordination Committee will be established to oversee operations, address coordination concerns, and develop training and monitoring mechanisms.


Dr. Vanessa H. De Villa, Head of the Center for Liver Health and Transplant at TMC

Highlighting the broader challenge, Dr. Vanessa H. De Villa, Head of the Center for Liver Health and Transplant at TMC, pointed out that the Philippines continues to rank among countries with low organ donation rates globally. “This is the opportunity for us to effect change and to make a difference,” she said. “It’s time to do something different.”


Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, Department of Health Secretary

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa underscored the need for nationwide collaboration, and called on the private sector to help lead the way. “Dr. Bennett is really directing The Medical City to a different trajectory, beyond for-profit medicine, really giving back through public-private partnerships. I think it’s the right way, and I hope the other CEOs of private hospitals copy his lead,” he said. “This will not work if there are only two institutions working together. It has to be on a national level. Tulong-tulong tayo, bayanihan.”


Standing from left to right: Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez Jr., Chief Medical Officer of TMC Ortigas; Dr. Ruben G. Kasala, EVP and CEO of TMC Ortigas; Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of RizalMed; Health Secretary Ted Herbosa; Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto; Pasig City Councilor Roderick U. Gonzales; Dr. Alicia Santos, Hospital Administrator of Pasig City General Hospital.

All activities under the program will follow national laws, including the Organ Donation Act of 1991, and adhere to international ethical standards for transplantation. Patient dignity, informed consent, and data privacy will remain central to all processes.

PAODS builds on the existing collaboration between TMC and RizalMed through their Joint Liver Transplant Program, which has already enabled life-saving procedures for pediatric patients. With the alliance now formalized, the program is set to scale that impact, extending coordinated, quality transplant care to more patients across Pasig City and beyond.

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