For Cebu Province: Ejercito pledges hospital funding

CEBU, Philippines — With a push for stronger secondary healthcare facilities to ease congestion on apex hospitals, Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito has committed to help the Cebu provincial government secure funding for the upgrading of provincial hospitals.

Ejercito made the commitment on Friday as he joined Governor Pamela Baricuatro in inspecting provincial hospitals to assess their present condition and identify priority projects that could receive national government support.

The senator, who authored the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, said the visit is part of efforts to strengthen the country's healthcare service delivery network by improving provincial and local hospitals.

"We're going now on the second and third phase—that is improvement of the primary and secondary healthcare facilities," Ejercito said.

He explained that the national government has already strengthened apex hospitals, including the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), enabling them to perform specialized procedures such as kidney transplants and open-heart surgeries.

According to Ejercito, the next priority is to improve healthcare facilities at the provincial level so they can effectively support tertiary hospitals while allowing patients to receive treatment closer to their communities.

"My idea is to improve the service delivery, improve the facilities, equipment, if necessary, so that it will be a good support to the apex hospitals," he said.

The senator said he personally wanted to inspect Cebu's provincial hospitals to determine their actual condition and identify projects that deserve funding once the proposed national budget reaches Congress.

"So that I can see for myself the status and the state of the provincial hospitals. Now that we will have a better chance of funding or priority programs, especially the UHC, that's why I'm here to start the job early," Ejercito said.

His inspection began at the provincial hospital in Danao City, where he noted improvements in the facility under the current provincial administration but said additional work remains necessary.

"Luckily, I was expecting worse, but it has improved. Ever since Governor Pam took over, they prioritized already the healthcare system. There are CT scans, there are new machines. But there's still a lot of things to be done," he said.

Ejercito also pointed to an unfinished hospital building that, once completed, could more than double the facility's bed capacity and provide additional operating rooms and intensive care units.

"So this will be easier because it's an unfinished project. It will be easier to justify and fund. Given the increase in population, I think we have to prioritize the main hospitals, one in the north and one in the south," he added.

Asked whether he had already committed a specific budget for Cebu's healthcare projects, Ejercito clarified that funding decisions would depend on the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP), which will be submitted to Congress after the President's State of the Nation Address.

He also underscored that the UHC law envisions a functional service delivery network linking rural health units, infirmaries, primary hospitals, provincial hospitals, and tertiary medical centers to provide more efficient healthcare services.

Baricuatro thanked Ejercito for immediately responding to the provincial government's request for assistance, saying she appreciated the senator's swift action.

"Thank you for taking the time to visit us. You kept your promise. I wasn't expecting this fast worker, Senator JV. We really need help, and at least Senator JV saw what's needed, especially in the Danao hospital," Baricuatro said.

Ejercito, meanwhile, said he is always encouraged to work with local chief executives who prioritize healthcare, describing it as one of the most important services the government can provide to its people.

"I always am excited to meet local officials and governors who prioritize healthcare. It's in line with my advocacy. The best service you can provide the people is a good healthcare system," he said.

Capitol's Public Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Catalan welcomed the senator's focus on strengthening secondary-level hospitals, saying such investments would significantly help decongest major referral hospitals while improving healthcare delivery across Cebu.

"Actually, we lack support here in the province for the secondary levels of care. Strengthening that will decongest the apex hospitals, and helping LGUs and city health offices will also help us. It really trickles down," Catalan said.

She added that the hospitals visited in Danao, Minglanilla, and Carcar were strategically selected because they serve large catchment areas and would have the greatest impact once upgraded.

Baricuatro also said the provincial government hopes that with Ejercito's visit, funding for two MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), one in the south and one in the north, will be realized. (CEBU NEWS)