DAVAO City Councilor Trisha Villafuerte expressed support for the deployment of Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB), noting that healthcare in far-flung areas of the city remains difficult to access.
Villafuerte, who chairs the Committee on Health, said that it is the right of every Dabawenyo to have access to healthcare, and this should not be limited to those living in rural areas. However, she added that Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in the city, particularly in Marilog and Paquibato Districts, continue to face challenges in accessing quality medical care.
“The presence of a doctor in these districts would not only address the immediate medical needs but also strengthen preventive care, maternal and child care services, immunization coverage, and chronic disease management,” she said in a privilege speech on February 24, 2026, at the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
She expressed full support for the resolution advocating the deployment of DTTB under the Department of Health (DOH).
The councilor said that the DTTB program was created to address gaps in the healthcare sector. By deploying physicians in GIDAs, it improves the healthcare system, enhances disease prevention and management, and builds trust in public health institutions.
Villafuerte urged her fellow councilors to ensure healthcare is accessible to all Dabawenyos, wherever they reside.
She also passed a resolution supporting the deployment of doctors to the barrios in Marilog and Paquibato Districts.
As of January 2024, the Davao City Health Office (CHO) has been operating 18 district health offices aimed at improving the doctor-to-population ratio in the city. The ratio, previously 1:200,000, has improved to 1:50,000, with a target of 1:20,000.
The DTTB program was created in 1993 by the DOH to address the lack of doctors practicing in rural communities in the Philippines. As of 2023, there have been 34 batches of doctors deployed to GIDAs from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi provinces.
The program currently consists of 215 doctors serving nationwide, including 15 doctors deployed in the region. RGP