The “Doktor Para sa Bayan” program is projected to sponsor 648 new medical scholars this year following a ₱186 million funding injection under the 2026 national budget, Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III announced on Wednesday.
Sotto clarified that the expanded budget, allocated under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, will put a premium on medical students who are already on the verge of finishing their degrees.
“The budget this year has been increased for medical students under the 2026 General Appropriations Law, with prioritization for those who are almost complete with their studies,” Sotto said in a statement.
The veteran lawmaker lauded the sustained financial backing for the initiative, noting that financial constraints remain the primary hurdle for many aspiring physicians.
“I take this very positively and support this completely as many medical students want to finish their education but lack the financial capability to do so,” he said.
Currently, at least 25 state universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide offer doctor of medicine programs. Sotto shared that his initial vision for the program involved supporting approximately 40 medical scholars per participating SUC.
He further emphasized the critical need to bolster the local healthcare sector, especially in isolated regions that suffer from a chronic scarcity of medical personnel.
“Kailangang-kailangan talaga ito dahil sa kakulangan ng mga doktor, nars, at medical practitioners sa bansa, lalung-lalo na sa mga malalayo o karatig-probinsya,” he said.
(This is very much needed because of the shortage of doctors, nurses, and medical practitioners in the country, especially in remote or neighboring provinces.)
The “Doktor Para sa Bayan” program functions as a strategic government initiative designed to counter the country’s medical brain drain by offering free tuition to qualified student applicants.