Ayala expands into IVF space

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp., the country’s oldest conglomerate, is expanding into the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) space.

Ayala subsidiary AC Health, through its
QualiMed Hospital – Iloilo facility,  will develop an In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) Center and Integrated Practice Unit (IPU) in response to growing demand for IVF treatment in the Philippines.

Citing estimates that one in 10 Filipinos is affected by infertility and that 10 percent of those with infertility concerns will undergo IVF treatment, Dr. Henry Tupas, director and president of the Iloilo Fertility and Reproductive Care Center (IFER) presented key developments on the Iloilo Fertility & Reproductive Care Center Phase 2 expansion project, the first and only Fertility and IVF Center in Western Visayas.

“It will offer assisted reproductive technology, cryopreservation and genetic testing with our very own, fertility doctor, Dr. Rey Castillo leading the way and with the guidance of QualiMed – Iloilo COO Dr. Nathaniel Chan, and QualiMed – Iloilo medical director Dr. James Woo,” Tupas said.

Ayala president and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala reaffirmed the Ayala Group’s commitment to investing in healthcare.

“At Ayala, nation-building has always been at our core and the pandemic has only reinforced our long-standing commitment toward improving lives and promoting development and growth for the country, which of course includes accessible and quality healthcare. The pandemic underpinned the importance of investing in healthcare and we at Ayala promise to continue doing so,” Zobel said.

AC Health president Paolo Borromeo said the group is committed to addressing gaps in the healthcare sector.

“Our belief is that healthcare is a fundamental human right. Creating an integrated healthcare ecosystem that will provide accessible and affordable healthcare for all Filipinos is the bold vision of AC Health,” Borromeo said.

AC Health serves as the Ayala Group’s portfolio company for healthcare businesses.

Its portfolio includes Generika Drugstore, a generic retail pharmacy operator; IE Medica and MedEthix, a major pharmaceutical importer and distributor; Healthway, a network of primary care, multi-specialty, and corporate clinics; and QualiMed, a network of full-service hospitals, multispecialty clinics, and a stand-alone day surgery center.

AC Health has also invested in health technology solutions, most recently, HealthNow, a healthcare aggregator app that offers online consultations, medicine delivery, and clinic and diagnostic booking.