BATANGAS CITY — A total of 257 health professionals officially took their oath on March 9 as new members of the Human Resources for Health (HRH) workforce who will help strengthen the healthcare system in the province of Batangas.
The oath-taking ceremony was led by Vilma Santos-Recto and held at the DREAM Zone, Batangas Provincial Capitol.
The newly sworn-in health workers include 2 Doctors to the Barrio (DTTB), 221 nurses, 20 midwives, 2 dentists, 5 pharmacists, 5 medical technologists, and 2 nutritionist-dietitians. They will serve as part of the National Health Workforce Support System (NHWSS) under the Department of Health.
The NHWSS aims to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce and improve public access to quality and affordable health services, particularly in priority and underserved areas.
Under the program, the health professionals will be deployed to different areas across the province, especially in Rural Health Units (RHUs), to support and enhance the delivery of local health services.
The initiative also seeks to address the shortage of health professionals in priority communities and promote a more equitable distribution of healthcare workers nationwide. It forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to implement the Universal Health Care Act, which aims to provide improved healthcare services for all Filipinos.
The implementation of the NHWSS is supported by the Department of Health Center for Health Development CALABARZON and the Provincial DOH Offices, which oversee recruitment, pre-deployment orientation, technical assistance, and performance monitoring of health workers.
Local government units (LGUs) also play a key role by providing administrative supervision, logistical and financial support, and ensuring the safety of deployed health personnel.
Meanwhile, the newly deployed health professionals are expected to deliver quality and compassionate medical services, implement community health programs, respond to health emergencies, and collaborate closely with local governments to further strengthen the implementation of universal healthcare.
The oath-taking and deployment were conducted under the supervision of the DOH Center for Health Development CALABARZON led by Dr. Voltaire Guadalupe, in partnership with the Provincial DOH Office–Batangas headed by Dr. Eloisa Baylosis Derain.| with reports from BPIO
