Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa is hopeful more doctors who have joined the &quot;Doctors to the Barrios&quot; program will continue to serve hard-to-reach communities after they have completed their three-year service. This, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the send-off ceremony for 290 doctors bound for isolated commmunities and disadvantaged areas – the largest single deployment in the program’s history. Marcos credited the sustained implementation of the program in reaching the &quot;Zero Doctorless Municipalities&quot; milestone last year which he first  announced during his fourth State of the Nation Address.  <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/3/26/doh-chief-says-emergency-departments-ready-for-heat-related-illnesses-1704">DOH chief says emergency departments ‘ready’ for heat-related illnesses</a></div> “Ang deployment nila ay three years, after three years ang hope namin ay maengganyo sila noong lokal na pamahalaan na magpermanente na,” Herbosa stated in an interview with state-run media PTV Thursday, March 26.  “Mayroon naman kami sa mga nakaraang programa nakapag-asawa doon or nagustuhan na nila iyong lugar, doon na sila nag-stay at naging municipal health officer na nila – so, naging empleyado na noong lokal na pamahalaan o iyong iba naging director noong small hospital doon,” he noted.  Some doctors under the program return to Manila to acquire further training, while some continue their studies. Others choose to join the Department of Health and become public health doctors, according to Herbosa.  “Mayroon tayong tinatawag na National Health Workforce Support System. Lahat iyan suweldo namin pati iyong nurse, midwife at pati mga equipment na kailangan nila ipapadala natin,” he said.  Scholarships are also being offered for doctors to pursue master’s degree in public health administration in various universities such as Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines and Development Academy of the Philippines. “At ngayon magdadagdag pa kami ng practice-based residency in family and community medicine. So, palawak nang palawak iyong mga opportunity at mga tinatawag na incentive para mag-stay sila sa programang ito,” Herbosa added.  Herbosa plans to replicate the program for barangay health workers. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/3/25/middle-east-war-may-affect-medicine-supply-hospitalization-cost-in-ph-doh-1138">Middle East war may affect medicine supply, hospitalization cost in PH—DOH</a></div> “Ang plano natin siguro ma-cover na rin natin iyong ibang health workers kagaya ng barangay health workers para mabigyan ng insentibo similar dito sa success natin sa Doctor to the Barrios,” he said. “Plano naming pag-aralin ng TESDA course, ng mga health worker course para maging mataas ang antas ng pagbibigay ng serbisyo, pagkatapos nagko-collaborate, magtayo pa ng iba’t iba pang special [unclear] para lumapit sa mga GIDA areas,” Herbosa noted. The Doctors to the Barrios program was initiated by the DOH in 1993 under then Secretary Juan Flavier to address the backlog in physicians in rural communities.

Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa is hopeful more doctors who have joined the ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ program will continue to serve hard-to-reach communities after they have completed their three-year service.

Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa is hopeful more doctors who have joined the ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ program will continue to serve hard-to-reach communities after they have completed their three-year service.

DOH chief hopes ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ stay after 3-year service

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DOH chief hopes ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ stay after 3-year service

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 26, 2026 08:36 PM PHT

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Doctors to the Barrios

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