ABOUT US
Every story has a beginning, every sentence starts with a few words and big things always start from small things and that is how ACE Medical Center, Legazpi came into being. It all started with a casual conversation of two friends, Dr. Arbel Perete and Dr. Roxas “Bobet” Lee-Llacer, who expressed to each other their desired dream of putting up a hospital managed by doctors of their generation. In August 2015, the two had a transcending conversation with other colleagues over bottle of beers, realizing that they all have the same aspiration—to build a hospital. What seem to be an idea, merely a dream, was slowing transforming into a reality.
Some blessings come in disguise. In 2014, Typhoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, causing devastation in the province of Tacloban City. Medical Missions abound in the area to help fellow Filipinos badly stricken by the typhoon. PCP Bicol were among those who heeded the call. There they met Dr. Jay Jadloc, a native of Tacloban and founding member of ACE Tacloban and team leader of PCP disaster preparedness and management. A year after the Yolanda tragedy, in September 2015, Dr. Jay Jadloc, called Dr. Arbel Perete to discuss the anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda. It was during their conversation that Dr. Arbel Perete mentioned unintentionally to Dr. Jadloc regarding the plan to put up a hospital in Legazpi described as a modern hospital, equipped with facilities and excellent services to serve the fellow Bicolanos. It was like a meeting of the minds, Dr. Jadloc wasted no time and introduced the concept of ACE Hospital to Dr. Perete, who in turn discussed it to his colleague-friends in Legazpi. With clearer perspective, they formed a small group of 7 members. Each invited fellow colleagues spanning different specialties to join them in what they envision to be the future hospital.
In January 24, 2016, the group invited ACE to Legazpi. It was headed by the chairman, Dr. Amado C. Enriquez. This was the birth of the ACE Medical Center, Legazpi. Composed of 30 local doctors with different specializations and 30 doctors from Manila and Tacloban combined. The group formed worked with so much zest– spearheaded by Dr. Arbel Perete, they scouted for the best possible location, the paper works and documentations rolled. The site found was a sprawling 14800 sq.m at the corner of Tagas bordering the Bogtong bypass road. It was an agricultural land converted into an industrial land. On May 28, 2016, ACE Medical Center, Legazpi had its ground-breaking ceremony on the site and a small program followed at Casablanca Convention Hall.
What happened after that was not actually a walk in the park. We had a bumpy ride and a heap of labor pains clouded with gray sky and stormy sea. But true enough, there is always a rainbow after the rain and once the sea has calmed, we managed through and created milestone out of it. On January 6, 2018, ACE MC Legazpi signed a contract with V.B. Columna and in partnership with Landbank on July 12, 2018.
Presently, the construction is on its fourth floor rising in front of nature’s beauties- the Lignon Hill and Mayon Volcano.
Completion of the hospital is expected by the first quarter of 2020. Very soon, Bicolanos will experience a whole new experience in health care.
Indeed, as Oprah Winfrey said, “ the biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
