TACLOBAN CITY— The provincial government of Eastern Samar has committed P676 million to upgrade healthcare facilities and ensure the availability of medicines and medical supplies as the province strengthens its implementation of universal healthcare.
Governor Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone announced the funding commitment during the 2026 Universal Health Care Summit held at the Provincial Capitol Gym.
Of the total amount, P500 million has been earmarked for the major rehabilitation of the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital, while an additional P176 million has been allocated for medical supplies, drugs and medicines for district hospitals.
Evardone said the investments are intended to improve healthcare delivery in a province where mountainous terrain, island communities and limited resources of some local government units continue to make access to medical services challenging.
He said a unified healthcare system and stronger coordination among local government units, municipal health offices and referral hospitals are needed to ensure that residents receive timely and quality medical care.
“Part of UHC is having a unified system and strengthening our local government units’ efforts for preventive measures so that we can address common illnesses that Filipinos encounter,” Evardone said.
The provincial government is also seeking additional assistance from the Department of Health to further improve medical services across Eastern Samar.
During the July 24 summit, the DOH recognized Borongan City for its accomplishments in implementing universal healthcare programs.
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda received awards for the city’s Libre Medisina program, its performance in the 2024 LGU Health Scorecard and its 2025 PhilHealth performance-based payment.
Borongan was also recognized for securing licenses and PhilHealth accreditation for its primary care facility and various health programs, including its Animal Bite Treatment Center, TB-DOTS, Maternal Care Package, YAKAP and GAMOT services.
Agda also joined a panel discussion on local health governance, where he shared Borongan’s implementation of the Libre Medisina program, which was launched in 2021 to provide free medicines to city residents and reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
The summit brought together provincial and municipal officials, health officers, healthcare providers and DOH representatives to discuss clinical care, nutrition governance, digital health, solid waste management and health financing under the Universal Health Care program.
ROEL T. AMAZONA
