CAPIZ – Capiz 2nd District Representative Jane T. Castro underscored the need to upgrade the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital into a Department of Health-managed Level III general hospital during the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros.
During the hearing, Castro presented House Bill No. 8474, a measure seeking to upgrade the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Barangay Lanot, Roxas City, into a Level III General Hospital to be known as the Capiz Medical Center.
House Bill No. 8474 was filed in the 20th Congress by Rep. Castro and Capiz 1st District Rep. Howard A. Guintu. The proposal aims to place the hospital under the management of the Department of Health (DOH), enabling the expansion of healthcare services and increasing hospital bed capacity.
Castro emphasized that the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital is the only provincial hospital in Capiz and has long been operating at full capacity. She noted that the facility serves not only residents of Capiz but also patients from southern Aklan and northern Iloilo, resulting in persistent congestion and limited hospital accommodations.
To address the growing demand for healthcare services, the provincial government began constructing a new Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Barangay Lanot in 2010. The facility was designed with a 298-bed capacity and an outpatient department. However, Castro said the provincial government has lacked the financial resources needed to complete the project.
She expressed hope that once the proposed Capiz Medical Center is completed and placed under the management of the Department of Health, it will significantly increase the number of hospital beds and improve access to quality healthcare for residents of Capiz and neighboring provinces.
Aside from House Bill No. 8474, lawmakers have also introduced similar measures to strengthen healthcare services in the province. House Bill No. 8475, authored by Capiz 1st District Representative Howard A. Guintu, Representative Ciriaco B. Gato Jr., and Representative Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, seeks to establish the Capiz General Hospital, a Level III general hospital, in the Municipality of Pontevedra, Capiz.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 1833, authored by Senator Vicente C. Sotto III and filed on February 11, 2026, likewise proposes upgrading the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Barangay Lanot, Roxas City, into the Capiz Medical Center under the Department of Health.
The proposed measures are expected to bolster the healthcare system in Capiz by expanding hospital capacity, improving medical services, and addressing the increasing demand for quality healthcare in Western Visayas.
