Ayala Corp. is making its largest bet on health care this year, with plans to invest P7 billion for expansion and new acquisitions as the country's oldest conglomerate searches for the next "big engine of growth."

Paolo Borromeo, CEO of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health), said on Friday the company is in the midst of ramping up all business segments, including pharmacy chain Generika, clinics and hospitals, and digital services.

The Zobel family conglomerate, which has invested about P10 billion in health care since AC Health was established in 2015, also wants to widen its patient reach by four times to over 24 million Filipinos by 2030, Borromeo said.

"In 2023 and beyond, we at AC Health remain committed to growing our services across our network in scaling up both organically and inorganically as we work toward our goal of improving health care for all," Borromeo said during a media briefing after Ayala's annual stockholders' meeting on Friday. This comes ahead of the company's brand refresh of its hospital and clinic group to "Healthway Medical Network."

For the rest of the year, Borromeo said AC Health will open three new multi-specialty centers in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao, bringing its network to 15 outpatient centers and 200 corporate branches.

In September, the company will open the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in Taguig, the country's first dedicated cancer hospital. INQ