DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Facing mounting calls to increase its capacity, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) based in Davao City urged the House of Representatives to fast track the passage of laws that will expand the hospital’s facility.
The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recently approved House Bills 1066 and 5573, which expands SPMC’s patient bed capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 and increases its allocation in the national budget.
Both bills are consolidated and approved with the final endorsement by Deputy House Speaker Representative Ferjenel Biron, according to the Philippine Information Agency.
HB 1066 was proposed in 2023 by Davao City’s Third District Representative Isidro Ungab, while House Bill 5573 was filed in 2025 by lawmakers from Davao Region, including Representatives Maria Carmen Zamora (Davao de Oro 1st District), Cheeno Miguel Almario (Davao Oriental 2nd District), John Tracy Cagas (Davao del Sur), De Carlo Uy (Davao del Norte 1st District), Nelson Dayanghirang (Davao Oriental 1st District), Jose Manuel Lagdameo (Davao del Norte 2nd District), and Leonel Ceniza (Davao de Oro 2nd District).
“This development is a crucial step toward our long-term goal of strengthening tertiary and specialized healthcare services in Mindanao, ensuring that our patients no longer need to travel to Manila for advanced procedures,” said SPMC Medical Director Dr. Ricardo Audan in his address to the Davao City Council last Tuesday.
Audan said they will make efforts to address the demands for SPMC despite its limitations in staffing.
The hospital currently employs around 6,300 personnel within its 12.2-hectare facility in Davao City. Despite this, Dr. Audan said additional workforce is needed due to a 140 percent increase in patient admissions from across Mindanao.
He pointed out that SPMC has around 3,000 nurses, which is below the ideal number for the facility. Audan said staffing remains unstable as many personnel later seek “greener pastures abroad.”
At present, ICU nurses handle up to six patients each, double the ideal ratio of one nurse to three patients. Ward nurses, meanwhile, attend to more than 20 patients each, exceeding the ideal ratio of one nurse to 12 patients.
Audan also pointed out the need for more doctors, particularly anesthesiologists and pediatricians, given the increasing patient load. Currently, SPMC has around 800 doctors, slightly below the ideal number of at least 900.
SPMC is also set to open a Trauma Center across its emergency room to help decongest patient volume. The hospital is likewise exploring the expansion of its facilities in Bago Oshiro.
Audan also raised his suggestion to the City Council for Davao City government to establish its own city hospital to further ease congestion at SPMC.
At present, the city government allocates P25 million annually to support 65 nursing personnel at the hospital.
In 2022, the University of the Philippines Mindanao, in partnership with the Davao City government, held the groundbreaking for the Davao City Public Hospital after securing a P1.5-billion budget from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and an additional P250 million from the city government.
SPMC was established as the Davao Public Hospital in 1917 with just 25 beds, and expanded into a regional hospital. It was renamed Davao Medical Center in 1986 with a bed capacity of 600. It was renamed SPMC in 2009.
The PIA said SPMC is the largest public hospital in the country with a bed capacity of 1,500.(davaotoday.com)
