Cebu is looking to put more resources into community-level health care, with the provincial government preparing P20 million in seed funding for a proposed special health fund.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro announced the plan as healthcare leaders, municipal health officers and physicians from across the country gathered in Cebu for the 73rd Annual National Convention of the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP).
Held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2026, the convention brought together health practitioners and government officials to discuss ways to strengthen primary health care and make local health systems more responsive to community needs.
Baricuatro said the provincial government is preparing the P20 million allocation as part of its efforts to improve access to health services across Cebu.
The governor also expressed the province’s intention to participate in the Department of Health’s (DOH) pilot implementation of Universal Health Care as Cebu works to bring medical services closer to residents regardless of their economic circumstances.
“Our goal is simple: Wherever a Cebuano lives, whatever his or her economic status may be, quality healthcare should be within reach,” Baricuatro said.
She also highlighted the role of municipal health officers in translating national and provincial health policies into services at the community level.
“Our municipal health officers occupy a very important place in our healthcare system. You are among those closest to our people. And very often, you are the bridge that connects national and local health policies to the people in the community,” she said.
Baricuatro said primary care providers are often the first health professionals to encounter patients and their families before cases reach provincial hospitals.
“Healthcare begins in the community. Before a patient reaches a provincial hospital, very often it is the municipal health officer and the local health team who first see the patient, understand the family, know the community, and respond to what is happening on the ground,” she said.
Her remarks aligned with the convention’s theme, “Empowering Primary Health Care Providers to Lead a Community-Responsive, Equitable, Bridging, and Unified Health System,” which emphasized the role of grassroots health providers in improving local health systems.
Focus on health workers
AMHOP national president Dr. Sam Joseph C. Cirilo focused on the people delivering community health services, particularly municipal doctors working with limited resources and increasing demands.
Cirilo discussed the mental health challenges faced by municipal physicians and urged health workers to also pay attention to their own well-being while caring for patients.
He said health workers should recognize their “invisible scars” and stressed that those experiencing neglect should not be left to suffer in silence.
Convention chairperson Dr. Cesar Carillo said the gathering also aimed to empower primary health practitioners to participate more actively in health policy development and improvements to local health systems.
Carillo described AMHOP as a continuing platform for grassroots medicine, saying comprehensive health care can encourage innovation, strengthen health systems and allow health workers to contribute to positive change.
The convention also featured the GAWAD AMHOP and Innovation Awards, as well as technical sessions, policy discussions and peer exchanges involving health officials from different parts of the country.
Among those who attended were DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Ariel Valencia, DOH 7 Regional Director Dr. Joshua Brillantes, Dr. Roel A. Costabar and other health officials and district health department heads.
Discussions during the convention covered efforts to improve access to medical services, expand surgical and diagnostic missions, and align local health priorities with national Universal Health Care targets.
The proposed P20 million special health fund and Cebu’s planned participation in the DOH pilot are part of the province’s broader effort to strengthen primary care and bring health services closer to communities.
Photo courtesy of Capitol PIO
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