• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral lauded the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) for expanding from zero to 24 the number of licensed primary care facilities (PCFs) in local government units across the province.
Maestral said on Tuesday, April 28 that the DOH, through the Negros Island Region Center for Health and Development and the Provincial Health Teams, will work closely with the PHO to ensure that these PCFs are not just licensed but fully functional, adequately staffed and consistently delivering quality services.
The establishment of PCFs in all the 31 municipal and component cities in Negros Occidental aims to decongest patients in government hospitals.
“This means continuous capacity building for your primary care teams through Purok Kalusugan, aligning service packages with PhilHealth, and strengthening health promotion so that care begins even before a patient walks into a facility,” the DOH official said.
Maestral spoke at the Provincial Leadership and Governance Program (PLGP) Colloquium and Universal Health Care Summit 2026 in Talisay City.
She said that every patient prevented from being admitted is a victory for the system.
In his message, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that “health is not a privilege, but a right that every Negrense must access, afford, and feel.”
Lacson emphasized that a successful healthcare system relies on a network where every unit is connected and responsive to the realities of the residents’ lives.
He credited good governance and the province’s governance program for strengthening the health system, noting that the PLGP has been a strong contributing factor to the improvements.
The governor reported that within 20 months, the province expanded and licensed its primary care facilities from zero to 24.
The increase translates to greater access and essential care for every resident, he said.
The summit gathered local health leaders and stakeholders to assess progress and reinforce commitments to universal health care in the province. | GB
