P650M earmarked for hospital upgrade

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has earmarked ?650 million this year for infrastructure upgrades in provincial and district hospitals, reaffirming her administration’s strong commitment to improving the province’s healthcare system.

The announcement was made by Capitol’s Public Health Consultant and the governor’s daughter, Dr. Nikki Catalan, who said the budget will cover the upgrading of infirmaries to Level 1 facilities and Level 1 hospitals to Level 2.

The fresh allocation is on top of the billions already dedicated to the regular operations of the 16 Capitol-run hospitals, which include 10 infirmaries, four Level 1 hospitals, and two Level 2 hospitals.

Catalan emphasized that the initiative fulfills Governor Baricuatro’s promise during her August 29, 2025 State of the Province Address (SOPA), where she pledged to make healthcare a cornerstone of her administration.

“We need to rebuild and regain the trust of the people by ensuring dili sila mamatay inig abot sa atong mga provincial hospitals,” Catalan said, stressing the urgency of upgrading facilities and services.

She admitted that fixing Cebu’s fragile healthcare system cannot be done overnight, but said the Capitol is determined to provide “faster, closer, and kinder care and service” so that no Cebuano is left behind.

The planned upgrades are complemented by recent steps to strengthen staffing, procurement, and hospital operations, as outlined in the governor’s SOPA.

Among these are the hiring of 25 doctors and 160 nurses in the first round of recruitment, with more hires expected in the coming months. The Capitol has also begun implementing flexible working hours for doctors and round-the-clock shifts for medical technologists in all hospitals.

Incentives are likewise being prepared for job order medical staff to ensure retention and motivation.

Just last week, nearly ?100 million was released for the operating expenses of all provincial hospitals for September, reflecting the administration’s push for timely funding support.

Beyond infrastructure and staffing, the province has also spent over ?48 million on province-wide medical and surgical missions, described as temporary stop-gap measures while upgrades are underway.

Catalan said these missions, carried out in partnership with private hospitals, doctors, and volunteers, have already benefited thousands of patients across Cebu.

She added that it was fulfilling to see patients recover quickly and return home after surgeries, noting that expressions of gratitude from families on social media bring her joy.

“Sometimes makahilak ko,” she said, adding that the private sector’s overwhelming support reflects heroism in the medical field.

Catalan also praised the collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth, describing it as “very collaborative.”

In her SOPA, Governor Baricuatro also announced the reactivation of the Provincial Health Board, now expanded to include more members and experts to guide programs and policies.

She further revealed plans to work with DOH on setting up a province-wide mental health hotline in response to rising cases of mental health concerns.

Baricuatro stressed that both curative and preventive measures will be pursued—from hospitals down to barangays—ensuring access to essential care at all levels.

She added that Health and Dental Days will be institutionalized under a regular calendar to provide routine services to communities.

The governor reiterated her administration’s commitment to completing basic equipment, upgrading facilities, and systematically filling staffing gaps across the province. — (FREEMAN)