Health services in Negros Occidental are being expanded through a unified, province-wide Universal Health Care (UHC) system aimed at making primary and specialized care more accessible to residents.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson presented the province’s progress at the First Unilab Foundation Executive Symposium on Sept. 28 at JY Hall, Bayanihan Center, Pasig City, highlighting measures intended to strengthen access and financial protection across the province.
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Province Reaches Full PhilHealth Accreditation
Among the developments cited was the establishment of 26 licensed primary care facilities serving communities across Negros Occidental. All health facilities in the province have also achieved 100-percent PhilHealth accreditation, while PhilHealth enrollment has reached 97 percent, covering nearly all of the province’s 2.6 million residents.
Residents have also gained broader access to specialized services, including dialysis, HIV treatment, CT scans and mammography.
“Financial protection remains our priority,” Lacson said, noting that full accreditation and high enrollment ensure no Negrense faces financial barriers to care.
The expansion comes across a province with a wide geographic spread. Its 2.6 million residents are distributed among 31 local government units (LGUs) and 601 barangay (villages), while 18 percent are classified as urban underserved areas or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Health Facilities Continue to Be Upgraded
Infrastructure improvements remain part of the province’s UHC efforts, including the ongoing elevation of the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital to Level 3 status.
These efforts are guided by the “Bridging Leadership” framework, which brings together the provincial government, LGUs, hospitals, health workers, the Department of Health, PhilHealth, and other partners in pursuing UHC for every resident.
Lacson was accompanied at the presentation by provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, executive assistant and provincial information officer Charina Magallanes-Tan, provincial health officer Dr. Ma. Ayessa Hugnatan and Julie Lizares-Diaz.
The province’s approach shows that expanding health care is not only about adding facilities or services, but also about making coverage and financial protection reach communities across a large and geographically diverse area. As Negros Occidental continues upgrading its health system, the effectiveness of UHC will ultimately be measured by whether residents, including those in underserved and geographically isolated communities, can access needed care without cost becoming the reason they go without it.
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