September 23, 2025, Manila, Philippines — The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) celebrated two milestones recently with the third anniversary of its Robocare Surgical Center and the achievement of 500 successful cases in robotic surgery.
In his welcome remarks, President and CEO Mr. Kelly Sia described this defining moment in the history of CGHMC as an accomplishment of many firsts in healthcare technology and advanced procedures, proof that “an institution can be rich in heritage yet bold in embracing the future.”
Mr. Sia acknowledged the pioneering spirit of Dr. Jason Letran, known as the Father of Philippine Robotic Surgery, whose work in robotics started as early as 2010. It was in 2022 when CGHMC truly invested in this technology, and in only three years the hospital reached the 500-case milestone — where others took twice as long — “which proves that with vision, leadership and dedication, progress can be accelerated,” he said.
Acquiring the most sophisticated robotic technology available and establishing the nation’s first dual console system allows two surgeons to operate simultaneously, share expertise in multidisciplinary cases of the highest complexity, and train the next generation of robotic surgeons. It was also around this time that the Robocare Surgical Center was established for patients’ coordination, counseling, and assistance.
For Mr. Sia, the results speak for themselves. In the first half of 2025 alone, the robotics team performed 40% of all robotic urologic cases in the country. He further recounted, “With the widest variety of procedures beyond the usual robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, in General Surgery our team was the first to perform robotic-assisted breast surgery and later pioneered robotic bariatric surgery. Gynecology steadily expanded its role, bringing the benefits of robotics into women’s health. Transplant surgeons have successfully performed robotic-assisted kidney transplants, making CGHMC one of only two institutions in the country capable of doing this. We are now expanding further into thoracic cardiovascular robotics and other complex cases.”
Always ensuring to extend its services to underserved members of society, CGHMC has performed about 20 robotic charity cases, proving that advanced surgical care is not limited by a patient’s ability to pay.
The 500 robotic cases are testaments to the trust of its patients, the skills of doctors, and the dedication of staff.
“Robots may provide steady hands, but it is our people who provide healing hearts.”
Committed to continuously upgrading and acquiring the latest innovations, including next-generation platforms such as a single port robotic system, telesurgery, and AI integration are advances which would make surgery more precise and minimally invasive surgery even less invasive. “At CGHMC, robotics is no longer the future, it is our present reality. Not just keeping pace with global innovation, we are setting new standards in healthcare.”
Philippine Chinese Charitable Association, Inc. (PCCAI) Chairman Antonio Tan was proud to announce that CGHMC is the only hospital with a program that enables its fellows to perform robotic surgery, under the supervision and guidance of expert mentors.
Chairman Tan vows to make this technology accessible to everyone. “This is our commitment: to continually pursue innovation where technology meets the human touch, and to live out our promise of exceptional care within reach.”
Dr. Samuel Ang, Medical Director, reiterated that it was Mr. Kelly Sia and the board members who have turned this vision into reality. And it was the dedication of this group of robotic surgeons — gynecologists, urologists, and surgeons — who made this possible.
The most impactful testimonial came from one special guest — Retired General Francis Alaurin of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) — whose diagnosis of prostate cancer brought his plans to a “screeching halt” after more than 37 years of service, where he fought the NPA, the MNLF, communist insurgents, and also confronted the Abu Sayyaf group. He displayed fearlessness in his fight to defend the nation, only to be faced with a life-changing health challenge. He was able to get his health back after undergoing robotic surgery with Dr. Jason Letran. According to General Alaurin, “We need more doctors like you and soldiers like me, working together in sync with each other to make the Filipino people a little healthier.“ He urged CGHMC medical staff to be proud of their extraordinary service and “putting the lives of the Filipino people at the center of your daily routine. Doing a great service to the nation.”
The 500-case milestone was further made meaningful with various presentations by the following doctors:
An overview of General Surgery was shared by the Head of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Dr. Sammy Cunanan.
Dr. Cunanan traced the progression of the robotic platform at CGHMC — from the da Vinci Si, to the da Vinci Xi Dual Console, and hopefully to the single port, which would make CGHMC the first one in the country to have it. He reiterated the need for a feasible high-impact program to train local surgeons in robotic surgical techniques. “This expands access to high quality surgical care across regions and builds sustainable local capacity so that our underserved patients can get advanced care closer to home, because we believe that Filipinos deserve better healthcare. As we invest in equipment, we try to innovate surgical procedures and implement best practice guidelines and hope to inspire the next batch of surgeons.”
Dr. Irene Sy, Assistant Chairman of the Department of OB GYN, gave her presentation on the acquisition of the robot, the negotiation, and the trainings. To date, CGHMC gynecologic robotic surgeons have successfully completed 54 robotic surgery cases.
Three of Dr. Sy’s patients submitted their written testimonials, and they are: Ms. Stefanie Yu, who had undergone robotic-assisted hysterectomy; Ms. Maricel Angeles, who had been suffering from severe pain and bleeding from recurrence of severe pelvic endometriosis; and Ms. Josephine Tsang, who lauded the expert care she received from the team of Dr. Irene Sy and her fast recovery after surgery.
Dr. Apol Lasala, Jr., the assistant director and head of minimally invasive urology of the Institute of Urology, shared statistics and data on the number of successful robotic urology cases through the years and the year-over-year growth of the program. “CGHMC delivers the full range of complex robotic urologic procedures, which are comparable to large academic centers in other countries. This diversity reflects not only our surgeons’ skill but also robust multidisciplinary infrastructure that allows us to take on the challenges that made other institutions refer us.”
Dr. Lasala said that “CGHMC is not waiting for the future of robotic surgery, we are building it today.”
The event also showcased the role of Anesthesiology in Robotic Surgery as presented by Dr. Venice Chan, as well as the crucial role robotic nurses play during robotic surgery. The talk on the Robotic Nursing Experience was given by Ms. Charlene Mae Concepcion, who shared the initial concerns of nurses about losing connectivity with patients. “Challenges remain, but I’ve seen how resilient and adaptable our nurses are. Given the right tools and support, they can excel in their roles and provide patients with exceptional care.”
The celebration would not have been complete without a talk from the Father of Philippine Robotic Surgery himself, Dr. Jason Letran, who shared “Our Robotics Journey and Transformation.” “Today is not just an anniversary but a celebration of milestones. I look upon this as 500 patients’ and families’ lives transformed. It represents our shared vision, our perseverance, and commitment to healthcare.”
From his dream of bringing robotic technology to the country, as he witnessed during his visits to international conventions abroad, Dr. Letran never stopped communicating with the supplier and other medical institutions, including CGHMC. It was not until 2022 that they were able to convince management to acquire its first robot. In September of that year, he was able to perform the first robotic urologic surgery in CGHMC with the able assistance of Dr. Apol Lasala. From a humble beginning of five cases performed that first month, they were soon averaging 34 to 45 cases in 2023 and as much as 54 cases in one quarter in 2024, marked by an expansion and diversity of cases, performing more complex cases utilizing the robotic technique.
Soon, other specialties would join urology — general surgery, gynecology, and even kidney transplant — were applying robotic surgery. The diverse and complex cases, he said, “marked us as a power in robotic surgery in the country.”
Dr. Letran emphasized that in urology, the total cases of robotic urologic surgery in CGHMC, as compared to national data, contributed 25% of the national total of robotic urological cases. “This year alone, we were able to contribute 40%.” He pointed out that CGHMC is catering to more patients, with a wider range of diseases and coming up with better options.
Robotic surgery is about lives transformed — from a father who was cured of prostate cancer, a mother with uterine disease, a lung cancer patient breathing easier after surgery, to a daughter given a kidney by her father, freeing her from a life of dialysis.
But the journey of the 500 cases does not stop there. As per Dr. Letran: “We look forward to the possibility of next-generation platforms, such as a single port robotic system, telesurgery, and AI.”
To reiterate what Mr. Sia said, CGHMC is setting a new standard in healthcare.
