CEBU CITY, Philippines — In another strong push to improve healthcare delivery across the province, Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro formally welcomed a new batch of doctors and nurses hired under her administration’s continuing health reforms. The welcome ceremony was held on August 26, 2025, at the Capitol Social Hall.
This recruitment drive is part of the governor’s broader effort to upgrade healthcare services and address staff shortages in Capitol-run hospitals, especially those located in rural and underserved municipalities.
“You are not just being deployed—you are answering the call to serve where you are most needed,” said Gov. Baricuatro in her message to the health workers. “Our people deserve timely, compassionate, and competent healthcare, and you will be key to making that happen.”
More Frontliners for Provincial Hospital
The newly hired personnel include:
- Licensed nurses
- Resident doctors
- Medical technologists
- Public health officers
They will be assigned across the 16 district and provincial hospitals managed by the Cebu Provincial Health Office, located in towns such as Daanbantayan, Barili, Carcar, Argao, Balamban, and Bantayan Island.
According to the Provincial Human Resource Management Office (PHRMO), these hires were based on hospital-specific needs assessed earlier this year. Many facilities had long been operating with limited medical personnel, particularly during peak outpatient loads and emergency cases.
Healthcare System Overhaul in Progress
Gov. Baricuatro’s administration has consistently emphasized healthcare accessibility, workforce expansion, and hospital infrastructure improvement as part of her governance agenda.
Earlier this year, she announced plans to:
- Upgrade hospital equipment
- Fast-track the procurement of essential medicines
- Improve ambulance response services
- Digitize hospital records for efficiency
Baricuatro said that addressing the human resource gap is critical to ensuring that these improvements have a meaningful impact on patient care.
“What use are new machines if we don’t have enough skilled people to operate them? Healthcare is not just about facilities—it’s about people. And we’re investing in the right people,” she stressed.
Cebu Province’s Commitment to Universal Health Care
The hiring of additional health personnel aligns with the province’s roadmap to comply with the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, which mandates local government units to provide better healthcare coverage and services to their constituents.
The Department of Health has also previously underscored the importance of LGU-led hiring and decentralization of healthcare resources, a move now being implemented more aggressively under Baricuatro’s leadership.
In coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) Region 7, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Capitol’s Public Health Board, the provincial government has also mapped out a multi-year development plan to strengthen health financing and improve patient outcomes.
Personnel Thanked for Choosing Public Service
During the ceremony, Gov. Baricuatro expressed gratitude to the newly hired professionals for choosing to work in public service despite the more lucrative offers available in private hospitals or overseas.
“There is no greater honor than serving your fellow Cebuanos. You could have chosen comfort elsewhere, but instead, you chose duty,” she said. “That makes you heroes in every sense.”
Looking Ahead: A Healthier Cebu
The governor concluded the event by reiterating her administration’s health-centered governance philosophy: healthcare is a right, not a privilege.
She promised more initiatives in the coming months, including:
- More permanent plantilla positions for hospital staff
- Additional funding for community health programs
- Partnerships with nursing and medical schools to establish residency and internship pipelines in provincial hospitals
- Rehabilitation and expansion of select district hospitals through national and provincial funding convergence
Conclusion
The Cebu Provincial Government’s latest move to onboard more medical professionals reflects a serious commitment to delivering quality public health services under Gov. Pamela Baricuatro’s leadership. As these doctors and nurses begin their assignments across the province, their presence will help bridge the gap between medical needs and healthcare access—especially in communities long underserved.
For Baricuatro’s administration, healthcare is not a campaign promise—it is a continuing priority, and every new hire brings the province a step closer to that vision.
