Sec. Ted Herbosa (2nd from left) during his private visit at former Congressman Chatto’s residence in Balilihan on March 14, 2026. Others in photo (from L-R) are: Dr. Grace Herbosa (the wife of Sec. Herbosa), former Congressman Edgar Chatto, wife Pureza and daughter Trisha.
DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa visited the DOH Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Multi-Specialty Medical Center in Cortes town on March 14, 2026 and recognized it as the most modern facility built by DOH in the Visayas region.
In his statement, Herbosa said the hospital, which softly opened in September 2025, now has a 50-bed capacity, including in-patient services, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Department, and Out-Patient Department (OPD).
He also mentioned that the facility has special institutions for Heart, Lung, Kidney, and Cancer care.
According to the Secretary, advanced services such as angiography and open-heart surgery will be implemented in the future, along with modern equipment including CT scan, PET scan, MRI, LINAC, operating rooms, and chemotherapy services.
He also visited former 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto, where they discussed strengthening health programs and expanding community-based healthcare.
The visit of Sec. Herbosa (with his wife Dr. Grace Herbosa) in Balilihan was private and personal. The couple joined the Chatto Family and some neighbors in hearing an anticipated Sunday Mass at the Medalla Milagrosa Chapel within the vicinity of Chatto’s Balilihan Residence.
Herbosa expressed gratitude for the warm reception from the Chatto family and acknowledged their exchange of ideas for improving the local healthcare system.
The DOH PuroKalusugan Program was discussed, which was inspired by the earlier Purok Power Movement (PPM) initiated by Chatto when he was mayor of Balilihan in the late 1980s, which received the GOLD HAMIS ( Health Management Information System ) Award from the late DOH Sec & Senator Juan Flavier.
The Purok Power Movement was formalized through a provincial ordinance during Chatto’s tenure as governor of Bohol.
Herbosa said the concept was adopted as a national strategy under PuroKalusugan (PK) to strengthen healthcare delivery in municipalities across the country.
To recall, former Congressman Edgar Chatto played a significant role in the construction of the Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Center in Cortes, Bohol.
He conceptualized and initiated the project when he was governor.
The project was approved with funding through multi-year contractual authority.
.
As a congressman, Chatto authored Republic Act No. 11883: AN ACT CONVERTING THE GOVERNOR CELESTINO GALLARES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN THE CITY OF TAGBILARAN, PROVINCE OF BOHOL TO THE GOVERNOR CELESTINO GALLARES MULTI-SPECIALTY MEDICAL COMPLEX, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.
The law as enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives provides that:
SECTION 1. The Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in the City of Tagbilaran, Province of Bohol, is hereby converted into a medical complex to be known as the Governor Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Complex (GCGMMC), which shall be under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).
SEC. 2. The GCGMMC shall be comprised of the following:
(a) the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Tagbilaran City, and
(b) the Multi-Specialty Medical Center in the Municipality of Cortes, Province of Bohol.
This explains why the name Gov Celestino Gallares is used in both Tagbilaran and Cortes campuses.
He also co-authored the Regional Specialty Centers Act (Republic Act 11959) in support of similar projects in other Regions.
Chatto’s efforts led to the donation of a 5-hectare land for the project by the provincial government in 2014.
Meanwhile, the DOH through Sec. Herbosa, pledged to continue modernizing regional health facilities and expanding specialized services to ensure accessible and quality medical services for communities in Bohol and Visayas.