HOUSE Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan is seeking an additional P1 billion under the proposed 2027 national budget to accelerate the development of medical schools in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and help address the country’s shortage of doctors.

Libanan said the proposed increase would augment the Seed Fund for the Development of Medical Schools in SUCs, which supports the expansion and enhancement of medical education in state-run institutions.

“We are pushing for an allocation of at least another P1 billion for the Seed Fund for the Development of Medical Schools in SUCs in the proposed 2027 national budget,” Libanan said.

“We want to fast-track the development of medical schools in SUCs so that the country can produce more physicians in the years ahead and improve public access to healthcare, especially in communities where doctors remain in very short supply,” he added.

Libanan emphasized that increasing the number of physicians is vital to strengthening the country’s healthcare system, noting that improved access to doctors is essential to better public health.

Congress created the Seed Fund for the Development of Medical Schools in SUCs under the 2021 General Appropriations Act, with an initial allocation of P150 million. Since then, funding has been provided annually through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED): P250 million in 2022, P250 million in 2023, P275 million in 2024, P150 million in 2025, and P440 million under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

The fund enables SUC medical schools to expand instructional capacity, acquire teaching materials, upgrade libraries, and develop advanced laboratory facilities.

Libanan said the number of SUCs offering medical education has increased from 25 to 30, reflecting the government’s continuing efforts to expand access to state-funded medical training.

Last month, CHED authorized five additional SUCs to offer the first- and second-year levels of their Doctor of Medicineprograms beginning in Academic Year 2026–2027. These are Eastern Samar State University, Visayas State University, University of Eastern Philippines, Benguet State University, and Cotabato State University.

A lawyer and a medical technology graduate, Libanan has long advocated greater access to affordable medical education. He is the principal author of a House-approved bill seeking to institutionalize the Eastern Samar State University College of Medicine in Borongan City.

He also authored a separate measure proposing the establishment of a Local Health Record System, which would create secure and accessible electronic health records for Filipinos seeking care at barangay health stations, rural health units, and other primary healthcare facilities to improve the continuity, coordination, and quality of healthcare services nationwide.