SENATOR Joel Villanueva welcomed the P1.095-billion allocation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the implementation of the Doktor Para sa Bayan law.

“We’re very grateful to President Bongbong Marcos for supporting our Doktor Para sa Bayan law by ensuring sufficient funding for the program,” said Villanueva, principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 11509.

“Under the 2026 national budget, the Doktor Para sa Bayan law received its single highest appropriation since it was enacted in 2021,” Villanueva said in a statement.

“In fact, the 2026 budget for Doktor Para sa Bayan matches the total appropriations for the program over the past five years,” he added.

From 2021 to 2025, the law received a total of P1.075 billion, which the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) used to finance medical scholarships and the return service program, as well as to establish medical schools in state universities and colleges nationwide, Villanueva explained.

Villanueva also appealed to CHED leadership to facilitate and fast-track the establishment of more medical schools in state universities and colleges to encourage more students to pursue careers in medicine.

“We are prepared to extend any assistance that CHED may need. We look forward to receiving periodic updates from the commission regarding the implementation of the program this year, especially in light of the huge funding,” Villanueva said.

“We want to ensure that CHED fulfills its commitments so that the funds are spent appropriately and the program’s goals are achieved,” he added.

The Doktor Para sa Bayan law aims to ensure that at least one public medical school is available in every region where scholars can study to become doctors.

After passing the licensure examinations, Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program (MSRSP) scholars are required to render return service in the public health system equivalent to the number of years they benefited from the scholarship.

The law seeks to address the shortage of physicians by offering free tuition, books, living allowances, and other benefits to qualified beneficiaries. It also requires scholars to serve in public health facilities for at least one year for every year of scholarship received.