The Commission on Higher Education has approved Doctor of Medicine programs in five state universities and colleges to address the shortage of medical practitioners in the Philippines.
The Commission on Higher Education approved the applications of five state universities and colleges to operate the first and second-year levels of their Doctor of Medicine programs effective Academic Year 2026-2027.
The universities are Visayas State University, Eastern Samar State University, University of Eastern Philippines, Benguet State University in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and Cotabato State University-Cotabato Regional Medical Center School of Medicine. Benguet State University becomes the first state university in the Cordilleras to offer a medical program.
The country’s physician-to-population ratio stands at 7.92 per 10,000 people, below the World Health Organization standard of 10 per 10,000. The Commission on Higher Education said the approvals align with the Doktor para sa Bayan Act and ensure at least one state university with a medicine program in every region except the Negros Island Region.