ISABELA CITY, Basilan Province — The provincial government of Basilan welcomes and commends the approval at the committee level of the two bills seeking to establish hospitals in the municipalities of Tipo-Tipo and Maluso in this province.

In a statement, Governor Mujiv Hataman on Saturday said, “This is a significant step forward for the province of Basilan and will bring much-needed healthcare services closer to our people, especially those in far-flung and underserved areas.” 

Hataman said that these hospitals, once established, will not only improve access to medical care but also strengthen the province’s overall healthcare system. 

We thank the authors of the bills and the regional government for recognizing this urgent need, the governor said.

However, we caution that prematurely shifting the burden of hospital operations to local government units (LGUs), particularly without clear and sustained funding mechanisms, may hamper the effective delivery of services, he added.

He pointed out that many LGUs, especially in the island provinces, face fiscal and logistical limitations that may make the assumption of hospital management unsustainable in the long term.

While there was consultation on these bills under the previous administration, we believe that the original versions filed by former Member of Parliament Amir Mawallil reflect a more realistic and supportive framework for our local health systems, the governor said.

“We therefore express our full support for the original text of these two bills and respectfully urge the Bangsamoro Parliament to consider the long-term implications of the sunset provision,” he emphasized.

We appeal to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to conduct a thorough dialogue and consultation with the Provincial Government of Basilan before the proposed measures reach plenary deliberation, as this may help address any concerns from the ground, Hataman said.

Ultimately, we share a common goal: to ensure that every Basileño has access to quality healthcare. 

We look forward to working closely with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional government to ensure that these new hospitals will be sustainable, effective and truly responsive to the needs of our people.