The Department of Health has been actively conducting medical missions across Cavite, bringing free check-ups, medicines, and health services to barangays, ensuring that even the most remote communities receive quality healthcare.
SimbaKalusugan: A Landmark Partnership for Community Health
A groundbreaking partnership between the Department of Health and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has brought the "SimbaKalusugan" program to Cavite, making quality healthcare more accessible to parish communities. The program was launched at Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic School in Imus, Cavite, offering free services including dental and physical checkups, HIV screening, medication, laboratory tests, x-rays for tuberculosis screening, and education on mental health, substance use, and noncommunicable diseases . Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa emphasized that the initiative "hits two birds with one stone," as families who go to church can conveniently avail themselves of free medical services without spending money to travel to health centers or hospitals.
Fr. Dan Cancino Jr., executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Health Care, highlighted that "SimbaKalusugan gives importance to people," particularly those who have difficulty accessing health services . The program is expected to expand to dioceses nationwide, with the Diocese of Imus serving as the starting point for this transformative initiative that combines faith and healthcare to serve the most vulnerable members of communities.
Medical and Dental Missions Across Cavite
The Provincial Government of Cavite continues to demonstrate its commitment to accessible healthcare through regular medical and dental missions in various municipalities. On January 8, 2026, a mission in Barangay Cabezas, Trece Martires City, benefited 582 residents, with 379 receiving medical consultations and 49 availing of dental services . Diagnostic services included 100 fasting blood sugar tests, 32 electrocardiogram procedures, and 22 X-ray examinations, with patients receiving free prescribed medicines . Healthcare professionals from the General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital and the Office of the Provincial Governor medical mission team collaborated to deliver these essential services.
SM Foundation has also contributed significantly to Cavite's community healthcare efforts, conducting a medical mission in General Trias that delivered 600 services, including medical check-ups, dental procedures, and blood tests, while deploying mobile clinics for X-rays and ECGs . The foundation distributed free medicines and vitamins through its "Gamot Para sa Kapwa" program, continuing its two-decade healthcare initiative that has served over 1.2 million Filipinos nationwide.
DOH's Broader Healthcare Initiatives in the Region
The Department of Health, through its KAPUUA (Kalusugang Pampamilya sa Unserved at Underserved Areas) program, continues to expand access to essential healthcare services for geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities across CALABARZON . Under this program, residents receive free medical consultations, nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, immunization, tuberculosis and HIV screening, blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring, as well as family planning and WASH education . These initiatives support the Universal Health Care agenda of the national government under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., strengthening grassroots healthcare delivery through the DOH's PuroKalusugan framework .
The provincial government has also reinforced its commitment to responsive and inclusive healthcare, ensuring that essential medical support remains available to Caviteños throughout the year . With the network of Rural Health Units across Cavite's 23 municipalities and cities, residents have ongoing access to primary healthcare services close to their communities . These combined efforts from national agencies, local governments, private foundations, and academic institutions like Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite—which has conducted student-led health and wellness programs in Rosario—prove that Cavite is building a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem that truly leaves no one behind.
