Agusan execs welcome proposed DOH takeover of provincial hospital
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Officials of Agusan del Sur province welcomed the proposed takeover by the Department of Health (DOH) of the provincial government-run D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital (DOPMH).
The House committee on health approved on Wednesday the measure seeking to transfer the management of the hospital back to the DOH, as contained in House Bill No. 1383, titled “An Act Reverting to the National Government the Discharge of Basic Health Services of the Democrito O. Plaza Memorial Hospital and Appropriating Funds Therefor”
The bill was co-authored by Reps. Adolph Edward Plaza and Alfel Bascug and seeks the renationalization of DOPMH, placing it under the DOH’s management, supervision and control.
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Located in Patin-ay, Prosperidad, DOPMH is a level 2 tertiary hospital and the province’s primary referral center for complex and serious medical cases. Established in the 1970s and named after former governor Democrito O. Plaza, the facility has a 100-bed authorized capacity and is PhilHealth-accredited.
It offers inpatient and outpatient services, including general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, trauma and emergency care, as well as diagnostic services such as radiology, ultrasonography and electrocardiography.
Plaza described the committee approval as a “first major step,” saying the measure would now move to the Senate for deliberation.
“The first step has been done. What we need now is follow-through,” he said, expressing confidence the bill could be enacted next year.
Governor Santiago Cane Jr. supported the proposal, framing it as a fiscal and public health strategy.
“Hospitals are structured for curative care — they treat disease after it has already taken hold. But public health policy must prioritize prevention,” Cane said.
He added that once the hospital is handed back to the DOH, the province could realign substantial budget allocations toward primary healthcare programs in municipalities and cities, including expanded access to essential medicines, stronger immunization drives and intensified anti-malnutrition campaigns.
Vice Governor Patricia Anne Plaza said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved a total budget of P389,828,676 for DOPMH in 2026, describing it as a significant fiscal load that would be lifted if the measure becomes law.
Plaza said the amount could instead support the expansion of district hospitals and other frontline health services.
During the House hearing, Bascug said the provincial government has struggled to sustain hospital operations amid financial constraints and staffing shortages.
If passed, the bill would make DOPMH the first DOH-retained hospital in Agusan del Sur. INQ /mr
