First RHU-based BUCAS Center in Region 7 launched at Tagbilaran 

Tagbilaran City marked a historic milestone in healthcare accessibility with the inauguration of the first Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) Center in Central Visayas on May 10, 2024, at the Tagbilaran City Primary Care Facility.

Mayor Jane Yap, alongside Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa and Medical Center Chief Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center (GCGMMC), led the momentous occasion by signing the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). 

The signing ceremony, graced by DOH Regional Director Jaime Bernadas, OIC DOH Undersecretary for Health Service Cluster Area III Visayas Dr. Gloria Balboa and City Health Officer Dr. Jeia Pondoc. 

The newly established Tagbilaran BUCAS Center represents a vital step towards addressing the healthcare needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable families and individuals across Tagbilaran City and the entire first district of Bohol. 

Mayor Yap expressed her profound pride in the establishment of the Tagbilaran BUCAS Center. She emphasized the significance of this initiative in enhancing healthcare accessibility for all residents, particularly those in marginalized communities. 

“The inauguration of the BUCAS Center marks a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving equitable healthcare for all,” Mayor Yap remarked. 

She also said: “We are committed to ensuring that every resident of Tagbilaran City and the surrounding areas has access to the quality public healthcare services.”

Through this is a collaborative effort between DOH 7 and GCGMMC, the BUCAS center will see the deployment of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals to TCPCF, facilitating the delivery of ambulatory services and urgent care. 

This strategic initiative not only aims to bolster healthcare services within Tagbilaran City but also seeks to alleviate the burden on emergency rooms and outpatient departments at GCGMMC by reducing referrals and congestion.

The establishment of the BUCAS center reflects the DOH’s broader initiative to ensure equitable access to high-quality primary, ambulatory, and urgent care services nationwide. 

According to DOH, the project endeavors to establish 28 centers to serve the 28 million poorest Filipinos by 2028, in alignment with the overarching vision of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. to prioritize the healthcare needs of underserved communities.