AYALA Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), which operates hospitals and clinics under the Healthway Medical Network (HMN), said it has several hospital acquisition targets in line and hopes to announce at least one deal within the year, while it plans to open three to five clinics annually over the next three to five years.
“At the moment, we have several acquisition targets in the works. I hope we will be able to announce something within the year,” AC Health Strategy and Investment CEO Rafael Jaime V. Recio told reporters on the sidelines of an event last week.
“But if you ask if we want to build greenfield projects, I think we are focused first on making sure the Cancer Hospital goes up. Then everything else, for the foreseeable future, will be through acquisitions,” he added.
Mr. Recio said the company is looking at hospitals with at least 100 beds, Level 2 units, and densely populated urban areas.
“We are looking at the quality of the institution, we have made sure that it is not a super fixer-upper. It is important that there is a good doctor’s background that goes with it that remains or has entered. I think those are the most important buildings,” he said.
Alongside its acquisition strategy, AC Health plans to expand its network of clinics by opening three to five facilities annually over the next three to five years.
“The goal is to expand three to five clinics a year in large areas where we feel it is important to be there. I think that is the goal for the next three to five years,” said Mr. Recio.
Although most of its clinics are located in shopping malls, AC Health is also considering other options, including roadside commercial locations.
“It happens that sometimes the malls give us the best place with a lot of cars that are easily accessible,” said Mr. Recio. “It’s possible that sometimes we’ll have roadside commercials, but we’ll see, depending on what opportunities are presented to us.”
As part of its medium-term growth strategy, AC Health aims to expand its network to 1,150 retail pharmacies, 300 clinics, and 10 hospitals through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions.
Earlier this month, HMN expanded its specialized outpatient network to 18 facilities nationwide with the opening of its flagship facility at One Ayala in Makati City.
After the launch of the One Ayala center, HMN said it plans to open a standard-sized multi-specialty center in Batangas in August and another in McKinley West in Taguig before the end of the year.
Separately, AC Health, through its pharmaceutical arm AC Health Pharma, entered into a partnership with Japan-based Taisho Pharmaceuticals in June to distribute healthcare products in the Philippines.
Under the agreement, AC Health Pharma will distribute Taisho products through AC Health’s network of pharmacies, clinics, medical centers and hospitals.
Mr. Recio said the company remains on track to meet its long-term expansion goals despite industry challenges.
“I wouldn’t say we’re ahead. I’d say we’re making good progress… It looks like we’re on track. It’s been an encouraging 2026 so far, despite all the challenges we’ve seen lately,” he said. – Alexandria Grace C. Magno
