4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan (Facebook)

President Marcos must certify as urgent a package of bills that would enable the country to produce more doctors, which are badly needed to strengthen the public healthcare system.

Thus, said House Minority Leader 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, who bared that there are at least nine pending measures in the House of Representatives that seek to create additional schools of medicine in state universities and colleges (SUCs). 

“We must democratize and widen student access to state-subsidized medical schooling so that the country can produce a greater number of Doctor of Medicine graduates in the years ahead,” Libanan said in a statement on Sunday, Jan. 27.

“Right now, we are not producing enough new doctors due to the prohibitive cost of medical schooling in private higher education institutions. This is why we need more colleges of medicine in our SUCs, especially in the provinces,” he noted.

“If we want to assure Filipinos access to quality healthcare, we need a constant supply of new doctors to replace those retiring or migrating overseas,” Libanan added.

Though a lawyer by profession, Libanan also holds a degree in medical technology.

Libanan is the author of one of the nine House bills that seek to establish new schools of medicine in SUCs. Under House Bill (HB) No. 9872, a new college of medicine would be created at the Eastern Samar State University in Borongan City.

Libanan hails from Eastern Samar and previously represented the province’s lone district in Congress for nine years. He is now 4Ps Party-list representative.

In addition to Libanan’s bill, there are eight other House bills that seek to establish new colleges of medicine in the following SUCs:

- Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Quezon City

- University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines in Cagayan  de Oro City

- Samar State University in Catbalogan City 

- Aklan State University in Ibajay, Aklan

- Mindanao State University in General Santos City

- North Eastern Mindanao State University in Tandag, Surigao del Sur

- Bukidnon State University in Malaybalay City 

- Sultan Kudarat State University in Tacurong City

The country’s doctor-to-population ratio is only around 3.6 doctors for every 10,000 people, according to the Department of Health (DOH)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has pegged the ideal ratio at 10 doctors for every 10,000 people, or one doctor for every 1,000 people.