THE COMMISSION on Higher Education supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s initiative to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.

In his fist SONA, Marcos said that part of strengthening the healthcare system is the provision of competent and efficient medical professionals.

The president also said that he plans to build specialty hospitals all over the country so people can access treatment without traveling to big cities.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III said his agency is prepared to help provide additional doctors and nurses to fill the gaps in the current pool of health workers in the Philippines.

“CHED is facilitating the production of the critical manpower for the President’s plan to build specialty hospitals all over the country. Through the Doktor Para sa Bayan Law, we have authorized the opening of ‘new’ medical programs in seven universities and recently lifted the 11-year-old moratorium on the offering of new nursing programs in HEIs. These new medical and nursing programs will produce the additional doctors and nurses that will man these new hospitals four to five years from now,” De Vera said.

On July 12, the commission En Banc lifted the moratorium on the offering of new nursing programs in response to the current need for more nursing professionals.

“CHED is ready to evaluate the applications for new nursing programs so we can start producing the critical health manpower needed to realize the vision of the President,” De Vera said

There are now 15 public universities with free medical education because of the Doktor para sa Bayan Law.

“We have corrected the historical injustice in Mindanao, where for a very long time, there was only one medical school — MSU Marawi. Now, students can study for free in the medical schools of Western Mindanao State University, MSU-General Santos, MSU-Marawi, USEP and USM,” De Vera added.

CHED has also entered into agreements with twelve private HEIs so that their students who want to study for free and serve the country can become scholars.