President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. handed over more than ₱147 million in financial support to the Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital in Montevista on Tuesday to bolster healthcare delivery and upgrade medical equipment in the region.
The President visited the facility to inspect the damage left by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Mindanao on June 8, as well as to check on its newly opened medical ward, which was built to help ease overcrowding.
Though authorized for 160 beds, the hospital regularly accommodates an average of 263 admitted patients, alongside hundreds of outpatient and emergency cases daily.
Addressing attendees at the launch of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program in Nabunturan, Marcos reiterated that public health and preventive care remain core priorities of his government.
“Ang kasabihan nga iyan sa English, ‘An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.’ Kaya’t mas maganda ‘pag inuunahan natin. Kaya po via healthcare po ay napakalaking priyoridad sa administrasyong ito,” he said.
“Sa administrasyong ito, napakahalaga para sa amin na maganda ang pag-alaga sa mga nagkakasakit sa ating mga kababayan. At hindi lamang sa mga nagkakasakit. Inuunahan po natin ngayon. Hindi na natin inaantay na magkasakit,” Marcos added.
He highlighted nationwide immunization efforts, nutrition programs, and early consultation initiatives as key components in keeping citizens healthy before medical issues escalate.
During the visit, Marcos observed the discharge of a beneficiary of the Zero Balance Billing program, an initiative that has enabled over 81,000 patients at the facility to receive free hospitalization from July 2025 to June 2026.
Davao de Oro Governor Raul Mabanglo welcomed the financial aid, emphasizing that modernizing the facility will allow residents to receive comprehensive care locally rather than traveling long distances. The government aims to upgrade the hospital from a Level 1 to a Level 2 facility by 2027.