SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao (MindaNews/04 September) — Maguindanao’s Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) on Friday opened its refurbished hospital in Datu Hofer town that boasts of state-of-the-art facilities. The construction of new emergency room is part of the second phase of the hospital improvement financed by income from Philhealth contributions. Most of the patients brought to the Maguindanao provincial hospital are poor farmers of Liguasan Marsh and mountainous areas of Maguindanao. In January this year, the IPHO hospital opened to the public its rehabilitated building and facilities as part of first phase improvement. The provincial hospital has modest beginning in 1974 in Shariff Aguak town with only a 50-bed capacity and small medical staff despite attending to many patients who are mostly poor.