Isabela rolls out 3-year health roadmap to bridge system gaps

The Provincial Government of Isabela launched its Local Investment Plan for Health (LIPH) 2026–2028, a three-year roadmap designed to address gaps in the province’s health system by strengthening hospitals, improving facilities, and ensuring more accessible, equitable, and sustainable health services for every Isabelino.

The Isabela Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), led by Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Nelson O. Paguirigan, presented the health investment plan during a forum held on September 2–4, 2025 in Manila, outlining priority projects to address health system gaps with inputs from provincial officials and support from the DOH and PhilHealth.

Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Glenn Mathew G. Baggao said that the LIPH serves as more than just a roadmap of priorities, but as a shared vision of health for all Isabeleños, aligned with universal healthcare and the DOH’s 8-point agenda under Bagong Pilipinas.

Baggao pledged continued national government support to Isabela’s health agenda.

“On behalf of the DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, we commit to continue supporting all the programs and endeavors of the Provincial Government of Isabela under Governor Rodito Albano,” he said.

He also lauded the Albano administration for putting health at the center of its governance agenda.

“We honor and recognize the efforts of Governor Rodito Albano, under whose leadership health has become the province’s top priority—strengthening hospitals, improving facilities, and investing in health workers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Atty. Christopher A. Mamauag pointed out that public perception of health is often shaped by external forces rather than science alone.

“Our beliefs about health are too often influenced by marketing, shaping how we see the world and the choices we make,” he said, urging stakeholders to reflect on daily health challenges and “return to the essence of preventive practices.”

He added that resilience must be “complemented by a conscious effort to prioritize prevention, advocacy and awareness.”

The event was attended by DOH officials, PhilHealth Regional Office II, and PGI department heads and chiefs of hospitals, all of whom committed to collectively advancing accessible, equitable, and sustainable health services for every Isabelino. – Isabela PIO