TACLOBAN CITY – Tourists and visitors in Baybay City can now directly influence the quality of local tourism services through a newly launched QR code-based feedback system designed to improve customer experience and boost service standards across tourism establishments.

Dubbed the “Quality Visitor Experience Initiative,” the program allows visitors to instantly evaluate tourism-related establishments and services by scanning a QR code and rating them on hospitality, efficiency, cleanliness, and overall customer satisfaction.

The initiative, the first of its kind in Eastern Visayas, also enables users to submit complaints, suggestions, and recommendations regarding services provided by tourism facilities in the city.

Baybay City Tourism Officer Josefina Granada-Gutierrez said the digital platform is part of the city government’s feedback and service evaluation mechanism aimed at promoting, monitoring, and sustaining high standards of customer service in the local tourism industry.
“This is to inspire and encourage our establishments to improve their services and how they deal with visitors and tourists,” Granada-Gutierrez said during the launch.

She said the city government plans to recognize top-performing tourism establishments by December based on ratings and feedback gathered through the QR code system.

“We want the tourists and clients themselves to tell us which establishments are providing excellent service. This is a way for us to know what improvements are needed in the tourism industry,” she added.

Granada-Gutierrez assured respondents that personal information submitted through the platform will remain confidential, emphasizing that constructive criticism is essential in improving tourism services.

“Positive feedback is important, but constructive criticism is equally welcome because this is where we can start making improvements and do better,” she said.

Mayor Jose Carlos Cari said establishments that receive unfavorable feedback will also be given support from the city government to help improve their services.

“Those who receive poor feedback will not be left behind. We will help them because we want all establishments in Baybay City to provide quality service,” the mayor said.
To qualify for recognition under the program, establishments must be accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Tourism data showed that Baybay City recorded 520,206 visitors at its pilgrimage sites in 2025. The Shrine of St. Anthony de Padua attracted the highest number of visitors at 323,205, followed by the 18th Century Immaculate Conception Parish with 204,036 visitors.

The city also logged 360,461 day-tour arrivals across its tourist attractions. Three destinations—Lintaon Peak, Eastern Clouds of Baybay, and Aya’s Hill—were among the top 10 most visited tourist sites in Eastern Visayas in 2025.

The launch of the feedback mechanism comes on the heels of Baybay City’s recognition as the only local government unit from Eastern Visayas to receive the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Government Partner Award during the national FBSE Summit on July 21, 2025.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA/LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Aspiring doctors in Eastern Visayas will soon have more opportunities to pursue medical education closer to home after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the opening of Doctor of Medicine programs in three state universities across Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar beginning Academic Year 2026-2027.
The approval allows Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) in Borongan City, and the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Catarman to offer the first and second-year levels of their Doctor of Medicine programs, significantly expanding the region’s capacity to train future physicians.

The three institutions are among only five state universities and colleges nationwide granted authority by CHED to open medicine programs following a comprehensive evaluation conducted by the agency’s Office of Programs and Standards Development and the Technical Panel for Medicine.

Also receiving approval were Benguet State University in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the Cotabato State University-Cotabato Regional Medical Center School of Medicine in Region XII.

According to CHED, the universities met all requirements under CHED Memorandum Order No. 18, Series of 2016, which sets the policies, standards, and guidelines for Doctor of Medicine programs in the country.

The expansion forms part of the national government’s efforts to address the country’s physician shortage and improve healthcare access, particularly in underserved and geographically isolated areas.

The Philippines currently has only 7.92 physicians for every 10,000 population, below the minimum ratio of 10 physicians per 10,000 people recommended by the World Health Organization.

The initiative also supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to expand medical and nursing education programs and advances the objectives of the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, which aims to make medical education more accessible while encouraging graduates to serve in areas with limited healthcare services.

The CHED approval marks a major milestone for Eastern Visayas, which until now had only two institutions offering medical education—the privately operated Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Educational Foundation, Inc. College of Medicine in Tacloban City and the UP Manila School of Health Sciences in Palo, Leyte.

With the establishment of medical schools in Samar and Leyte, students from the region will no longer need to leave Eastern Visayas to pursue medical studies, reducing costs and increasing opportunities for local residents to enter the medical profession.

Eastern Samar Representative Christopher Sheen Gonzales welcomed the approval of the ESSU College of Medicine, describing it as an investment in the province’s future healthcare workforce.

“We take pride in this important step toward providing more accessible and affordable opportunities for young people from Eastern Samar who dream of becoming doctors,” Gonzales said.

“This is not merely a proposal for a new college. It is an investment in the future of our healthcare system—developing more doctors who come from Eastern Samar, who care about Eastern Samar, and who are committed to serving Eastern Samar,” he added.
Gonzales, together with 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan, authored the measure creating the College of Medicine at ESSU.

The lawmaker said the institution is expected to help produce more healthcare professionals, address physician shortages, and strengthen healthcare delivery in underserved communities across Eastern Samar and neighboring provinces.

Meanwhile, VSU announced that it is prepared to welcome its pioneering batch of medical students after successfully completing CHED’s rigorous evaluation process and receiving approval to offer the first two years of its Doctor of Medicine program.

The latest approvals also bring the national government closer to its goal of establishing at least one state university offering medicine in every region of the country. CHED said all regions now have a state-run medical school program except the newly created Negros Island Region, which has been identified as the next priority area.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — A long-awaited infrastructure project that promises to transform transportation and economic opportunities in Northern Samar officially broke ground on Wednesday, June 17, with national and local officials leading the ceremonial start of the Catubig Bridge Project in the municipality of Catubig.

The project, funded under the government’s Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) Program, includes the construction of a 151-meter concrete bridge and a 2.48-kilometer two-lane road that will connect the town proper to Barangay Calingnan and the Hagbay area. Once completed, it is expected to benefit residents of 27 geographically isolated and conflict-vulnerable barangays.

Leading the groundbreaking ceremony was Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, joined by Northern Samar Governor Harris Christopher Ongchuan, Northern Samar First District Representative Edwin Marino Ongchuan, Catubig Mayor Solomon Vicencio, officials from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), and representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

For decades, residents in the affected communities have relied on small boats to cross the Catubig River, one of Northern Samar’s major river systems.

While the river serves as an important source of livelihood and water, it has also posed significant transportation challenges, particularly during heavy rains and flooding when crossings become difficult and dangerous.

In his message, Sarmiento underscored the importance of infrastructure in promoting peace, security, and inclusive development, especially in communities affected by conflict and geographic isolation.

Governor Ongchuan said the bridge will provide a safer, faster, and more reliable route for residents while facilitating the movement of agricultural products, goods, and services. The project is also expected to improve access to schools, healthcare facilities, government services, and markets.

Beyond improving mobility, the Catubig Bridge Project is seen as a key component of government efforts to strengthen its presence in remote communities, support peacebuilding initiatives, and create new economic opportunities in areas that have long faced development challenges.

Local officials welcomed the project’s implementation, noting that it is the result of years of advocacy by the municipal government to secure funding.

Mayor Vicencio described the bridge as the most significant infrastructure undertaking in the municipality’s history, saying it will serve as a vital link connecting communities and improving the quality of life of residents.

“This bridge is more than just an infrastructure project. It is a pathway to progress, peace, and prosperity for our people,” he said.

Prior to the groundbreaking ceremony, local government officials and OPAPRU signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the project on March 26, 2026.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)