Manila: The provincial government of Eastern Samar has committed PHP676 million to strengthen healthcare services as it pushes for the full implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) program. Speaking during the 2026 Universal Health Care Summit at the Provincial Capitol Gym on Monday, Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone said the province has earmarked PHP500 million for the major rehabilitation of the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital and secured an additional PHP176 million for medical supplies, drugs, and medicines for district hospitals.
According to Philippines News Agency, Evardone mentioned that the investments are intended to improve healthcare delivery despite the province's geographical and financial challenges. He emphasized that Eastern Samar's mountainous terrain and island communities continue to make healthcare access difficult, while many municipalities and barangays have limited resources to meet the requirements of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
"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 stated. He stressed the importance of closer coordination among local government units (LGUs), municipal health offices, and referral hospitals to ensure that quality healthcare services reach every resident.
Evardone expressed his satisfaction with the presence of municipal mayors at the summit, stating, "It is very important for us now, and I'm very happy that the municipal mayors are here so that we can have a direction for the province. We have a better referral system, we have better coordination with our local health units so that we can ensure that people in Eastern Samar will have access to quality healthcare."
In addition to increasing investments in local health facilities, the provincial government is also seeking additional support from the Department of Health (DOH) to further enhance medical services across Eastern Samar. During the summit, the DOH recognized Borongan City for its accomplishments in implementing universal healthcare initiatives.
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda received several awards on behalf of the city, including the best practice in health award for the free medicine program, top-performing local government unit in the 2024 LGU health scorecard, and the highest PhilHealth performance-based payment award for 2025. Agda also joined fellow local chief executives in a panel discussion on local health governance, where he highlighted Borongan City's implementation of the free medicine program and initiatives addressing non-communicable diseases.
Launched in 2021, the free medicine program provides free medicines to city residents to help reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and improve access to essential medicines. The summit brought together provincial officials, mayors, health officers, healthcare providers, and representatives from the DOH to discuss strategies on clinical care, nutrition governance, digital health, solid waste management, and health financing in support of the Universal Health Care program.
