CEBU Gov. Pamela Baricuatro announced that the Province’s new mobile clinic initiative will begin operations on Camotes Island starting Monday, July 7, 2025.
This move is part of the governor’s broader effort to decentralize health services and extend reach beyond Cebu mainland hospitals.
During a press conference on Thursday, July 3, Provincial Administrator Joseph “Ace” Durano detailed the services to be offered by the mobile clinics.
These include diagnostics, X-rays and essential medicines for patients with chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Dental services will also be provided.
Durano said final preparations for the mobile clinic rollout are currently underway.
He emphasized that services would be prioritized for those who need them most.
“Iprioritize ang kinsay angayng tagaan (Those who need it the most will be prioritized), we will see some movements already in the coming weeks,” said Durano.
The governor’s team highlighted that by deploying mobile clinics to Cebu’s islands, this initiative aligns with Gov.Baricuatro’s ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare services in mainland hospitals.
“The first sight will be in Camotes, just to decentralize service… It is to strengthen what we have in the mainland,” the team explained.
Healthcare services have consistently been a top priority for Baricuatro since her campaign. On her first full day in office on Tuesday, July 1, she signed 12 executive orders, including the immediate release of a P5 million budget for emergency procurement for each of the 16 provincial hospitals. This totals P80 million, to be distributed to 12 district hospitals and four provincial hospitals located in Balamban and the cities of Carcar, Bogo and Danao.
Looking ahead, the governor’s team stated that a comprehensive design for the long-term logistics of the mobile clinics will be developed in the coming years, ensuring widespread healthcare access across the province.
Aside from the mobile clinics, the governor’s team is also set to launch a mobile kitchen, intended to feed the poor in remote places. However, no details were announced yet regarding this initiative.
In her inaugural speech on Tuesday, Baricuatro reportedly said that her administration has initiated conversations with health organizations committed to partnering with the Province for quality healthcare services. They will also be exploring scholarships in healthcare to produce dedicated professionals for the Province’s hospitals and clinics.
The governor previously pledged to strengthen the Province’s healthcare system and had bared her plans about procuring sea ambulances for the island groups of Bantayan and Camotes, where emergency medical access remains limited. / JPS