LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Benguet State University (BSU) is set to produce its own physicians as it joins five state universities and colleges authorized to offer the Doctor of Medicine program starting in the 2026–2027 academic year.

BSU will become the first state university in the Cordillera Administrative Region to establish a medical school.

The approval was granted by the Commission on Higher Education to BSU, along with Visayas State University, Eastern Samar State University, University of Eastern Philippines and Cotabato State University. The decision followed an evaluation by CHEd’s Programs and Standards Development and the Technical Panel for Medicine, which found the institutions compliant with the minimum requirements under CHEd Memorandum Order No. 18, series of 2016.

CHEd said the expansion is part of a broader government initiative to address the country’s shortage of physicians. The Philippines currently has a physician-to-population ratio of 7.92 per 10,000 people, below the World Health Organization standard of 10 doctors per 10,000 population.

The initiative also supports the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act,” which aims to increase the number of healthcare professionals by expanding access to medical education in underserved areas, including Samar, Leyte, the Cordilleras and Central Mindanao.

With the addition of these programs, CHEd said the government now has at least one state university offering a medical program in nearly every region of the country, except for the newly created Negros Island Region.