CARAGA’s first Level III hospital could soon become a reality, with the Senate set to tackle its version of an approved House measure upgrading the Butuan Medical Center into the Butuan General Hospital.
This was revealed by Butuan City Lone District Representative Joboy Aquino, who, during a press briefing following the Mindanao launch of LegisHear, informed media that the Senate Committee on Health chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros would soon deliberate on the proposal, which is expected to significantly expand access to quality healthcare for residents of Butuan City and the rest of the Caraga Region.
“There is a strong possibility that it will be approved, and we hope President Bongbong Marcos will sign it into law.”
“Based on what I’ve been hearing, the measure is now moving forward. There is a strong possibility that it will be approved, and we hope President Bongbong Marcos will sign it into law. Once that happens, the upgrading of our hospital to Level III can finally move forward,” Aquino, in a mix of English and Bisaya, said.
House Bill No. 8470—principally authored by the legislator together with House Committee on Health Chairperson and Batanes Lone District Representative Ciriaco Gato Jr. and House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Angela Suansing—seeks to convert the Butuan Medical Center into the Butuan General Hospital, a Level III facility under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Health.
Under the bill, the hospital’s authorized bed capacity will be doubled from 150 to 300 beds, with future increases to be aligned with a hospital development plan to be prepared by the DOH.
The measure likewise provides that the hospital’s professional healthcare services and facilities shall be upgraded in line with the expanded capacity, while its workforce—including doctors, nurses, and support personnel—shall also be increased accordingly.
The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the hospital chief, will determine the additional plantilla positions needed for its operation, subject to existing laws and regulations.
Aquino—who lamented that Caraga was one of only two regions in the Philippines without a Level III hospital—said the measure is deeply personal, recalling his own experience as a heart patient and his efforts to help indigent constituents obtain specialized medical treatment.
“I myself have been a heart patient since 2011. I do not want our people, especially the poor, to continue suffering because they cannot access quality healthcare. We have helped many patients over the years, and I thank God that we were able to convince our leaders and the Philippine Heart Center to assist them. Many of our constituents were able to receive treatment because we appealed for help in reducing their hospital expenses,” the legislator said.
Beyond increasing the hospital’s bed capacity, the proposed upgrade is expected to significantly enhance the quality and range of healthcare services available in Caraga.
The Butuan Medical Center’s roadmap to Level III accreditation envisions the establishment of a residency training program, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation unit, a blood bank, advanced radiology services such as MRI and mammography, and a tertiary laboratory with histopathology capabilities. These improvements are intended to enable the hospital to provide more specialized tertiary care closer to home.
“The region currently has a total bed capacity of only about 2,200, leaving an estimated deficit of 700 hospital beds based on the ideal ratio of one bed for every 1,000 people.”
The proposed upgrade also responds to the growing healthcare needs of Caraga’s approximately 2.9 million residents across six cities, 67 municipalities, and 1,312 barangays. According to the hospital’s roadmap, the region currently has a total bed capacity of only about 2,200, leaving an estimated deficit of 700 hospital beds based on the ideal ratio of one bed for every 1,000 people.
The roadmap likewise highlights the hospital’s strategic location just two kilometers from the Caraga State University College of Medicine, making it the nearest and most suitable base hospital for future physicians. The upgrade is expected to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, improve residency training, and help develop more medical professionals for the region.
The bill also directs the Department of Health, within 180 days from the law’s effectivity, to formulate a transition plan for the hospital’s renationalization in coordination with the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte. It further mandates the DOH to immediately include the implementation of the measure in its program, with funding to be provided through the annual General Appropriations Act.
Once enacted, the proposed Butuan General Hospital is expected to strengthen Caraga’s healthcare system by expanding hospital capacity, improving access to specialized diagnostic and treatment services, supporting the training of future medical professionals, and ensuring that residents of Butuan City and neighboring provinces can receive advanced medical care without having to travel outside the region.
