In a move to bolster healthcare in remote areas, the Department of Health in Bicol (DOH-5) has dispatched 14 medical professionals to various rural health units across the region. The initiative, part of the ongoing Doctors to the Barrio program, aims to enhance medical services in isolated communities. A ceremony held on February 17, 2025, marked the deployment, attended by the new doctors and DOH-5 officials.
Dr. Rosa Maria Rempillo, Assistant Regional Director of DOH-5, emphasized the doctors’ role in not only providing medical care but also in engaging in health education, focusing on disease prevention and early detection. She highlighted the program’s goal to support community development and ease the load on higher-level healthcare facilities.
The deployment is part of a broader strategy to fortify the healthcare workforce in Bicol’s rural and hard-to-reach areas. Dr. Rempillo expressed the department’s commitment to tailoring healthcare to the specific needs of these communities, with over 50 doctors currently serving under the program across the region.
The initiative targets several municipalities, including Guinobatan and Malinao in Albay, Vinzons in Camarines Norte, multiple towns in Camarines Sur, Virac in Catanduanes, and several locations in Masbate. The Doctors to the Barrio program, established in 1993, continues to address the shortage of medical practitioners in rural Philippines.
A memorandum of agreement was signed during the ceremony, reinforcing the partnership between DOH-5 and local government units to improve health service delivery in these geographically challenged areas.