TheDepartment of Health (DOH) holds the over-all technical authority on health as it is a national health policy-maker and regulatory institution.
Basically, the DOH has three major roles in the health sector: (1) leadership in health; (2) enabler and capacity builder; and (3) administrator of specific services. Its mandate is to develop national plans, technical standards, and guidelines on health. Aside from being the regulator of all health services and products, the DOH is the provider of special tertiary health care services and technical assistance to health providers and stakeholders.
While pursuing its vision, the DOH adheres to the highest values of work, which are:
- Integrity – The Department believes in upholding truth and pursuing honesty, accountability, and consistency in performing its functions.
- Excellence – The DOH continuously strive for the best by fostering innovation, effectiveness and efficiency, pro-action, dynamism, and openness to change.
- Compassion and respect for human dignity – Whilst DOH upholds the quality of life, respect for human dignity is encouraged by working with sympathy and benevolence for the people in need.
- Commitment – With all our hearts and minds, the Department commits to achieve its vision for the health and development of future generations.
- Professionalism – The DOH performs its functions in accordance with the highest ethical standards, principles of accountability, and full responsibility.
- Teamwork – The DOH employees work together with a result-oriented mindset.
- Stewardship of the health of the people – Being stewards of health for the people, the Department shall pursue sustainable development and care for the environment since it impinges on the health of the Filipinos.
Together with its attached agencies, the DOH – constituted of various central bureaus and services in the Central Office, Centers for Health Development (CHD) in every region, and DOH-retained hospitals – performs its roles to continuously improve the country’s health care system.
The DOH Western Visayas Center for Health Development
What is now known as the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development was first established on March 15, 1959 as Regional Health Office (RHO) No. 5 by virtue of Executive Order 394 series of 1947, and EO 392 series of 1950. RHO No. 5 was then composed of five provinces and six cities including Romblon.
Its main task was to set up a health care delivery system that would promote the effective provision of basic health services in the region. The RHO then has administrative supervision over the provincial and city health offices, rural health units, hospitals, and all operating health units/ facilities of the RHO in the region.
On September 24, 1972, through the Letter of Implementation (LOI) No. 8 and pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1, the RHO was renamed Ministry of Health. RHO No. 5 was then reclassified as RHO No. 6. Romblon was attached to RHO No. 5.
The implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991 transformed the RHOs into Regional Field Offices (RFOs). The delivery of basic health services was then devolved from the national government to local government units (LGUs) - provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays.
When RFOs were renamed as Center for Health Development or CHDs, RFO No. 6 became DOH-Center for Health Development Western Visayas.
It is presently headed by Dr. Adriano P. Suba-an, MPH, MCHM, CESO IV as Regional Director and Dr. Helen D. Tobias, MPA, MPH, CSEE as Assistant Regional Director.
The DOH Western Visayas CHD covers six provinces namely, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros Occidental; and two highly urbanized cities that is Iloilo and Bacolod.
Aside from the regional office, it also has four retained hospitals remaining under its supervision – the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), Western Visayas Sanitarium (WVS), Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), and Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital (DJSMMCEH).