SENATOR Loren Legarda has filed a measure seeking to strengthen medical education and healthcare training in the country through the creation of a national framework for university teaching hospitals and integrated academic health systems.

Under Senate Bill No. 2103, Legarda proposed the institutionalization of a national typology for university teaching hospitals and the stronger integration of medical schools into Academic Health Systems to help address gaps in the country’s healthcare workforce.

In the bill’s explanatory note, the senator said the effective implementation of Universal Health Care Act requires a sufficient and well-trained health workforce that responds to the needs of communities nationwide.

“Despite recent reforms, the country continues to face persistent gaps in the production, distribution, and training quality of physicians and other health professionals,” Legarda said.

The measure noted that medical education in the Philippines remains largely hospital-centered, with uneven access to quality clinical training opportunities, particularly outside major urban centers.

Legarda said the expansion of medical schools under Doktor Para sa Bayan Act has increased the need for properly integrated clinical training environments to ensure educational quality, patient safety, and health system responsiveness.

The proposed bill aims to define the levels and functions of teaching hospitals while encouraging partnerships among state universities and colleges, the Department of Health, local government units, and primary care networks.

It also seeks to integrate medical education into Health Care Provider Networks established under the Universal Health Care Act.

According to Legarda, the reforms would help ensure that future physicians and other health professionals are trained in settings that reflect the realities of healthcare delivery, including primary care, referral systems, community health, and population health management.

She added that the measure would support equitable access to quality training platforms, strengthen rural healthcare capacity, and promote the retention of health professionals in underserved communities.

“The establishment of a coherent national framework for university teaching hospitals and integrated academic health systems will help safeguard patient safety, strengthen health workforce development, and enhance overall health system performance,” Legarda said.