MARCOS ADMINISTRATION SETS UP 126 SPECIALTY CENTERS, WITH PHP26.3 BILLION BUDGET

The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has established 126 functional specialty centers across the country, with a total budget allocation amounting to PHP26.3 billion from 2022-2024.

- By Philippine Information Agency

On August 24, 2023, the President signed RA No. 11959 (Regional Specialty Centers Act), which authorizes the Department of Health (DOH) to establish specialty centers in its hospitals in every region and in government-owned and controlled corporation specialty hospitals. The law prioritizes cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung care, renal care and kidney transplant, brain and spine care, trauma care, burn care, orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, toxicology, mental health, geriatric care, neonatal care, dermatology, eye care, and ear, nose and throat care.

The launch of the Philippines' first human lung transplant program on January 23, 2024 was a full-circle moment for President Marcos. He is following his father's and namesake's legacy in building state-funded specialty hospitals and fulfilling his covenant to Filipinos in making health care a priority.

"Let us remember that healthcare is our covenant with the people, a public commitment driven by neither political agenda nor personal legacy projects. In this hospital where heroes walked and worked, may this program be a testament to our unwavering duty to serve the Filipinos," the President said during the launching of the country's first lung transplant program at the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP).

The lung transplant program was established through the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed between the LCP and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in November 2022 to develop a lung transplant manual that addresses several challenges: the lack of proper infrastructure and donor program, limited access to trained personnel, and financial constraints.