DAANBANTAYAN, Cebu — Construction has begun on the ₱22.4-million major infrastructure upgrade of the Daanbantayan District Hospital, less than a month after the project broke ground on August 22, 2026. The initiative forms part of the Cebu Provincial Government's continuing effort to improve its 16 Capitol-run hospitals.
New Buildings and Facilities Rise
The project includes the construction of a new outpatient department and pharmacy building, a dietary building, and a linen and laundry building. An ambulance parking and maintenance building, hazardous waste storage facility, and morgue will also be constructed.
A covered walkway will connect the main hospital to the new OPD, ensuring patients move comfortably between buildings. These additions address long-standing gaps in the facility's infrastructure and support better patient flow throughout the compound.
Core Services Get a Major Overhaul
Repairs will be undertaken at the emergency room, laboratory, radiology, and business office complex. Hospital buildings will be repainted, and the perimeter fence will be repaired. These improvements aim to enhance patient turnaround times and diagnostic accuracy.
The Daanbantayan facility has also expanded its bed capacity. From a 10-bed infirmary in June 2025, it now operates with 22 beds. This growth allows more local patients to receive inpatient care without traveling to distant hospitals.
Pathway to Level 1 Hospital Status
The ongoing improvements prepare the facility for its planned eventual upgrade to a Level 1 hospital. This status requires the progressive completion of standards covering infrastructure, equipment, health personnel, and hospital services. Each completed component brings the hospital closer to that goal.
Capitol Piso Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Baricuatro Catalan-Viscayno has been tasked by Governor Pamela Baricuatro to oversee reforms across all provincial hospitals. She said the Daanbantayan upgrade represents only one part of the major work happening across the province's healthcare system.
Part of System-Wide Healthcare Reforms
The Daanbantayan project serves as a benchmark for the Cebu Provincial Government's broader effort to modernize all 16 Capitol-run hospitals. Under Governor Baricuatro's administration, these facilities are being upgraded systematically to deliver safer, more accessible healthcare.
Catalan-Viscayno emphasized that every improvement contributes to a stronger healthcare system. She acknowledged that much work remains but expressed confidence that continued investments will yield safer facilities and better services for Cebu Province residents.
