FIRMING up health care system in the province is deemed to be a priority concern of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) especially so that it is running/managing its own 10 devolved hospitals situated in various towns in the province.
This surfaced during the January 13, 2026 official visit of the SP members led by Vice-Gov. Nick S. Besas to Gov. Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Center (GCGMSMC), said to be a training facility and apex referral hospital of Bohol. It is located in Rolling Mills Old Road, Malayo Sur, Cortes, Bohol, at the back of the town’s new municipal hall.
Provincial Board Member Nathaniel O. Binlod, who was one of the officials in said visit, called this (visit) “as part of its continuing legislative oversight and support for quality and accessible healthcare services in the province” and “in assessing facilities and programs that contribute to improving public health delivery for Boholanos.”
But the said medical center has not admitted patients yet. For now, it welcomes and treats outpatients. It operates with over 300 medical workers, including nurses plus security personnel that the national government must pay for their monthly salaries or wages.
It has what looks like three buildings, but the center’s chief Dr. Laurence Tirol told SP in a brief ceremony prior to the campus tour that building A is already finished while building B (located at building A’s back) is not yet.
Then Senate health committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito said that through his intervention, “during the budget hearings, we were able to allocate P2-billion for the construction of a new facility in Cortes, Bohol.”
He said that the construction of said center is “in line with the Universal Healthcare Act which aims to give access to good quality healthcare for all Filipinos without the financial burden. Improvement of health facilities is a must for UHC!”
The medical equipment are top notch! Comparable to the ones used by the top hospitals. Open heart surgeries, kidney and liver transplants and other complicated procedures can be done in this facility. It will serve not only Bohol, but also the whole of Central Visayas, the senator said.
Then Congressman Edgar M. Chatto authored Republic Act 11883 that led to the construction of said center in Cortes. It is funded by the Department of Health (DOH) and aimed at partnering with the Bohol Island State University School of Medicine.
Gov. Aris Aumentado said that the center is “marking a major step toward accessible and advanced medical services in the province.” The governor led the soft launching of the Medical Center on September 15, 2025.
“With this facility, Boholanos no longer need to travel far to avail themselves of specialized services, making healthcare more convenient and cost-effective. He reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s full support and expressed optimism about the hospital’s positive impact on the well-being and future of the people,” he said.
The center is designed to have Brain and Spine treatment, Basic Comprehensive Centers for Cardiovascular, Cancer, Transplant (Renal, Liver, Eye, Heart, Lung ), among others. An area is expected to be reserved for Mental & Behavioral Care, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine & Medical Arts Building.
Ms. Fiel Margeau Espina-Reventar is said to be the architect of the new GCGMSMC.
Those who took part on the visit include SP health committee chair Dr. Romulo G. Cepedoza, Board Members Dr. Mutya Tirol, Atty. Jamie A. Villamor, Nathaniel O. Binlod, Atty. Benjie Arcamo, Lucille Lagunay, Dionisio Joseph Balite, Joahna C. Initay, Lawrence Xavier Ancla and SP staff. (Ric Obedencio)
