PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered Friday the immediate completion of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute's (NKTI) Legacy Building in Quezon City, a 13-story facility poised to become the largest dialysis center in Southeast Asia.
The president said the facility is designed to address the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Philippines, which affects over 11 percent of the population.
"By the beginning of 2027, we will start bringing in the equipment here. And when will you think it will start operation? A year after that, it will be completed and will be ready to accept patients," Marcos said during his inspection of the center's construction.
"Here are the images showing what the facility will look like once it is completed, and that is likely the timeline we are looking at — that this dialysis center will be operational by early 2028," he added.
The 13-story Legacy Building will house 200 modern dialysis machines and is designed to serve as a one-stop health care facility complete with a Malasakit Center, operating rooms, a pharmacy, and training facilities for health care professionals.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the project is intended not only to increase the country's dialysis capacity but also to improve medical training and strengthen NKTI's role as the country's premier center for kidney care and transplantation.
The first phase of the project was completed on July 26, 2025, covering construction from the ground to the fourth floor and establishing the foundation and structural framework.
As of June 24, 2026, the second phase of the project, covering the fifth and sixth floors, was 70.5-percent complete, further enhancing the facility’s capacity to deliver quality health care.
"We hope to reduce the number of people with chronic kidney disease. But until that happens, we’re continuing to build hospitals so we can better serve patients, particularly those with CKD," he said.
Marcos said that the government is looking at ways to prevent kidney disease through stronger public health interventions instead of focusing solely on treatment.
"We are also discussing what we can do to help our fellow Filipinos avoid chronic kidney disease," he said.
Marcos highlighted the expanded benefits for kidney disease patients under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), including coverage for up to 156 hemodialysis sessions annually.
He cited the increased Z Benefit Package for peritoneal dialysis, which now ranges from P389,640 to P500,140 per year for adults and from P510,000 to P1.2 million for pediatric patients.
The PhilHealth Z Benefit Package covers catastrophic and prolonged illnesses requiring expensive treatments, such as certain cancers, open-heart surgeries, and kidney transplants.
It aims to provide comprehensive financial risk protection by covering the entire course of treatment, including hospital fees, medication, and professional fees.
Currently, Marcos said there are 904 PhilHealth-accredited dialysis centers serving patients nationwide.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said that based on data, one Filipino develops CKD every hour, with hypertension, diabetes, and smoking among the leading risk factors.
The World Health Organization recommends consuming less than 2 grams of sodium per day, equivalent to about 5 grams of salt.
However, Filipinos consume an average of 4 grams of sodium, or about 10 grams of salt, daily, increasing their risk of developing CKD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early-stage CKD often has no signs or symptoms, making regular screening important, especially for people at risk.
It recommends maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and managing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure to help prevent kidney disease.
