TACLOBAN CITY — The Eastern Samar provincial government has allocated P500 million for the rehabilitation of its provincial hospital, marking its first major upgrade since it was established 74 years ago.

Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone announced the provincial government’s commitment during the inauguration of the College of Medicine of Eastern Samar State University on Thursday, 2 July 2026.

Evardone said the investment will fund the modernization of hospital facilities and enhance practical learning opportunities, creating a well-equipped environment for hands-on clinical training for future doctors.

ESSU will welcome its first batch of medical students this year, with 40 enrollees. Of the total, 10 students will receive full scholarships from the provincial government. The Commission on Higher Education earlier approved the university’s College of Medicine program.

The Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital was established in May 1952 as the Borongan Emergency Hospital. Since then, the facility has not undergone a major upgrade.

For decades, it has served as the province’s primary referral hospital, gradually departmentalizing its clinical services and undergoing infrastructure improvements and licensing validations to expand its public health capabilities.

Last year, House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan filed House Bill No. 119 seeking to convert ESPH into a tertiary hospital and regional medical training center. The measure also proposes increasing the hospital’s bed capacity to 300.

In the bill, Libanan noted that while the province’s population has grown, the combined bed capacity of its 20 hospitals — 10 government-run and 10 private facilities — stands at only 418, well below the Department of Health’s recommended ratio of one hospital bed for every 1,000 people.

Because of the hospital’s limited service capability, Libanan said many patients are referred to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City, about 190 kilometers away.

“This logistical distance exacerbates the burden of patients and their families, as it adds to the medical expenses they have to shoulder and the stress caused by long-distance travel,” Libanan said in his bill.