Agusan Sur Super Health Centers: PBBM’s promise fulfilled
By NiΓ±a Jonalyn Gambe-Diamante
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) - In President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2024, he acknowledged the healthcare concerns of the country and the need for more medical infrastructures.
As a response, the administration came up with an immediate intervention through the construction of Super Health Centers.
“Intended to decongest public hospitals, these [super health] centers shall provide competent ambulatory care, most especially to the poor and to the disadvantaged, for health conditions that do not require hospital admission,” said PBBM during his 2024 SONA.
“Layunin natin na sa lalong madaling panahon, lahat ng lalawigan natin ay may sapat na mga center o pasilidad na may kakayahang makapagbigay ng pangunahing serbisyong-medikal para sa ating mga mamamayan (It is our goal to construct enough SHCs in all provinces as soon as possible that could provide immediate primary care to all our citizens),” he added.
Centers of care
Agusan del Sur is one of the provinces that greatly benefitted from the President’s promise. From 2022 to 2024, over P91 million was appropriated by the government for the construction of nine SHCs in the province with seven completed and two currently ongoing construction.
Through the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and the tireless advocacy of Senator Bong Go, the construction of Super Health Centers (SHCS) has become a reality, bringing essential medical services directly to the people who need them most.
As of 2025, SHCs have been funded and established in the following locations across Agusan del Sur:
· Esperanza (2022)
· Marcelina, Bayugan City (2022)
· Magkiangkiang, Bayugan City (2023)
· Sibagat (2022)
· Santa Josefa (2022)
· Trento (2022)
· San Luis (2023)
· Talacogon (2023)
· Veruela (2024)
These centers are strategically placed to serve geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities, many of which previously had little to no access to primary healthcare.
Multiple services under one roof
Each SHC is designed to offer a wide range of primary and diagnostic services, including:
· Outpatient consultations
· Birthing facilities
· Isolation rooms
· Laboratory diagnostics (X-ray, ultrasound)
· Minor surgical procedures
· Pharmacy access
· Eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) services
· Physical therapy and rehabilitation
· Telemedicine
· PhilHealth’s Konsulta program
These services are delivered in partnership with local government units (LGUs), municipal health offices (MHOs), Department of Health (DOH), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) ensuring that care is both accessible and sustainable.
Benefit for the community
For residents of remote barangays, especially the poor, these centers are more than just buildings—they are lifelines. Before their construction, pregnant women often had to travel by motorcycle or jeepney for hours to reach a birthing facility. Now, they can deliver safely within their own communities. Children with fevers, elders with chronic conditions, and farmers with injuries no longer have to endure long, costly journeys to seek help.
In Talacogon, for example, the newly turned-over Super Health Center has already begun serving hundreds of patients, easing the burden on nearby hospitals and giving families peace of mind.
For the 7-month-old Esperanza SHC, they have just opened their doors in June 2025 and have already started catering to patients from nearby communities.
“Our SHC is now catering to patients seeking consultation and laboratory services, and our pharmacy is now operational, as well,” said Rufino Castillo Jr., nurse of the Esperanza SHC.
“We are also in the process of seeking accreditation of our SHC as a primary care facility (PCF) from the Department of Health (DOH). We are scheduled for an inspection in the coming months,” he shared.
When asked about the impact of the SHC in the municipality and nearby communities, Castillo appreciated the government’s initiative of bringing healthcare services closer to the community, most especially to the disadvantaged and isolated areas of the municipality.
“Our SHC is strategically located in Purok 11 of Esperanza which is advantageous to the surrounding communities who previously need to travel a substantial distance just to seek immediate care. But now, they can right away visit our SHC in just a few minutes and avail of the healthcare services they urgently need,” he expounded.
A promise delivered
More SHCs are expected to be funded and completed in the months and years to come. These projects showcase the primordial importance that the government gives to the healthcare needs of the public from the big cities to the smallest barangays.
Pres.
Marcos Jr.’s commitment to decentralizing healthcare and investing in
grassroots infrastructure has brought dignity and relief to Agusan del Sur’s
most vulnerable. These SHCs stand as proof that when government promises are
fulfilled, lives are transformed. (NJGD/PIA Caraga)
