In a significant stride towards enhancing healthcare services, Butuan City has embarked on comprehensive upgrades to the Butuan Medical Center (BMC), aiming to elevate its classification to a Level III hospital. This initiative is part of a broader commitment to align the city’s healthcare infrastructure with national Universal Health Care (UHC) goals and global standards under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework for resilient, people-centered health systems.
The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga has prioritized the full functionality and upgrading of hospitals in the region, including BMC. The project, with a budget of ₱6.3 billion, is designed to address the need for specialized medical services and reduce out-of-pocket expenditures for patients — a key objective of the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) and Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-being.
Butuan is steadily emerging as a regional hub for integrated health service delivery. Its expanding portfolio of medical facilities — both public and private — supports the increasing demand for specialized healthcare, training centers, and referral systems. This includes modern hospitals, dialysis centers, diagnostic labs, and tertiary facilities that strengthen the city’s role as a strategic node in the Northern Mindanao health network.
Strategic Health Governance: With the completion of the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Local Investment Plan for Health (LIPH), the local government has embedded health resilience and inclusive access into its urban development blueprint — a move aligned with the National Objectives for Health (NOH).
Responsive Facility Growth: Butuan’s expanding healthcare footprint ensures better service delivery capacity, accommodating a growing population and inter-provincial patient load across Agusan del Norte and neighboring areas.
These developments reflect Butuan’s sustained governance reforms and multi-sectoral collaboration in health. The city government’s alignment with national policies and global frameworks shows a deliberate effort to make Butuan a model of inclusive, livable, and health-secure urban development.