FOUR decades after it opened as a pharmacy and a clinic, Davao Doctors Hospital remains to be the leader of healthcare providers in Davao City, providing only the best service, equipment, and expertise in Mindanao.

Complemented by state-of-the-art equipment and amenities, Davao Doctors Hospital is a standing beacon of medical expertise in the city and the entire Mindanao.

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Looking at the 10-storey medical tower and its five-storey hospital building, one could have never imagined that this state-of-the-art tertiary hospital started as a pharmacy with clinics in 1966, carrying the name Clinica Hilario, Inc.

Dr. Honorio Hilario, a clinical practitioner and proprietor of Botica Villa, a small drugstore located on Claveria (now C.M. Recto St.), invited Dr. Luisito Guanlao, a neurosurgeon, to set up a clinic inside the pharmacy since it was more lucrative to have a clinic near a pharmacy during those times, and later, the thought of having a doctor's clinic near a drugstore was promising which made other specialists set up their offices one after the other, namely Dr. Herminio Villano, Dr. Carmen Guanlao, Dr. Juan Belisario, Dr. Benigno Magpantay, Dr. Romeo Mahinay, Dr. Pacita San Vicente, Dr. Augusto Abela, and Dr. Eufracio Hilario. Dr. Jose Gantioqui, the only radiologist in Mindanao at that time, relocated his X-ray machine at Clinica Hilario, Inc.

In 1965, the Clinica Hilario Laboratory was established with Dr. German Castillo. Other incorporators started joining the group, who supported the idea of a hospital with doctors' clinics. In 1969, Davao Doctors Hospital ushered in the birth of quality healthcare service in Davao City and its neighboring provinces.

Surprisingly, the public immediately expressed full support for the new hospital with corporate accounts for health and wellness constantly increasing within the first year of the hospital's operation.

In 1973, the bed capacity of the hospital increased to 108 with the conversion of some rooms into wards while hospital facilities were continually upgraded with the purchase of equipment for the intensive care unit.

The neighboring 1,200-square-meter property of Roman Joaquin was acquired by the hospital, as the demand for more hospital space and beds constantly increased.

Davao Doctors Hospital was aggressively expanding in every year of its operation, with its acquisition of surrounding properties to allow the expansion of the hospital horizontally with the construction of a five-storey Annex building.

Diversifying its portfolio yet remaining true to its commitment of providing quality healthcare for the people, Davao Doctors Hospital opened its nursing school in 1975.

The hospital, like any other business institution, also experienced trying times. Due to the unsteady economic conditions the country experienced at the start of the 80s, the purchase of high-end, complicated machines and gadgets had to be stopped, and non-replacement of resigned personnel in some non-sensitive areas had to be done.

In 1982, there was a downfall in terms of occupancy rate from 84.48 percent to 75.55 percent. As a result, the net income dropped to 57 percent.

However, with the full trust and confidence of the Dabawenyos on the hospital, the management of Davao Doctors Hospital ensured that only the best equipment is used, thus the constant upgrade of laboratory equipment and other facilities such as X-rays, ultrasound, and other equipment for gastrology and cardiology, despite the economic crisis.

Ensuring efficient service is provided, the finance and administration departments of Davao Doctors Hospital underwent an upgrade with their operating system using the more technologically capable IBM system in 1986, and elevators were also placed at the Annex building.

Not resting on its laurels, Davao Doctors Hospital acquired in August 1990 a Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan, the most sophisticated and ultimate for the time being among imaging machines, the first and only one in Mindanao.

Fully committed to the continuous improvement of the healthcare industry of Davao City and Mindanao, the hospital invested in several equipments in 1997. The investment did not only bring Davao Doctors Hospital to the forefront of the medical industry in Mindanao, it also boosted the confidence of the people in the capability of the hospital in providing quality healthcare.

Maintaining the status as the best in Davao City and Mindanao, Davao Doctors Hospital invested heavily in equipment like an MRI, ultrasound, echocardiogram, Hematology Analyzer Coulter, a Siemens Sireshop X-ray, and respirators.

The hospital proved that nothing is impossible and that there can only be growth for the healthcare industry of Davao City. So the management decided to construct a 10-storey medical tower that changed the skyline of Davao City, and more importantly the quality of healthcare available in the city.

With posh clinics and a glass facade, the medical tower of Davao Doctors Hospital is its beacon of leadership in the healthcare sector. No other single structure in the entire region houses as many medical professionals whose expertise is beyond reproach.

It seemed that it was the peak of Davao Doctors Hospital when it constructed its 10-storey tower, but it was only the beginning of things to come.

In 2000, Davao Doctors Hospital became the first private tertiary hospital in the region to have acquired international recognition for its excellence in service, total quality healthcare, and quality education when it was awarded an ISO 9001 Certification in December 9, 2000. The hospital delivered on its certification and was later upgraded to ISO 9001:2000 in March 27, 2002, and maintained its status in 2003.

Medical practitioners from all over Mindanao have now opted to practice at Davao Doctors Hospital as it continues to rival the best in hospitals not only in Metro Manila but also other hospitals in the Asean region.

Enticing more doctors to practice at Davao Doctors Hospital, management paved the way for the acquisition of a P18.5 million Cath Lab in 2003.

The first Cath Lab, another first in Mindanao, showed that Davao Doctors Hospital is a center for excellence where experts are complemented by the best technology available.

Being the undisputed leader in the industry, Davao Doctors Hospital only gained larger prospects when one of the largest conglomerates in the country, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), obtained 34 percent of the hospital shareholdings. The leading hospital of Mindanao was then folded under the management of MPIC, headed by Manuel V. Pangilinan.

With over 250 beds and state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic, and intensive care facilities, Davao Doctors Hospital remains to be the leader in all medical specialties including cardiovascular medicine, gastroenterology and endocrinology, orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, cancer, ophthalmology, and digestive and liver diseases.

The future looks bright for Davao Doctors Hospital as MPIC vows to bring in the expertise and commitment to excellence it is best known for.

Now at 40, DDH is an institution reborn. We now begin our daring quest for greater success in making a significant impact on the lives of all Filipinos here in Mindanao. We will continue to make a difference in improving the quality of life of all our patients. We commit ourselves to this noble task; we can do no less, because here at DDH, We Care for Life.