Department of Health

Vision - The leader of health for all in the Philippines

Mission - Guarantee equitable, sustainable and quality health for all Filipinos, especially the poor, and to lead the quest for excellence in health.

Department of Health Profile

The recent change in political leadership provides the Philippines with the chance to revitalize the health care system. This is in line with the administration’s thrust to prioritize delivery of services to the masses and improve the quality of life of all Filipinos, especially the poor. The differences in health status among various groups and regions in the country have widened through the years. These disparities indicate deficient economic and social policies, showing the need to reprioritize interventions to promote equity, fairness and immediate action. Unnecessary and unfair gaps in the health care delivery system that deprive the poor of access to basic services must be reduced. The system must work efficiently to reach the highest possible health standards that can be shared by all Filipinos, given the limited resources available for health. Although socioeconomic differences significantly influence health status, the equitable distribution of quality health services is an important measure of fairness in the country. Revitalizing the health care system must be seen within the broader context of several forces affecting the delivery of basic health services in the past two decades. Among these factors are the devolution of health services to local governments, passage of national legislation for universal coverage for health through social insurance, the epidemiologic shift and current double burden of disease brought about by the rise in degenerative diseases and the reemergence of previously controlled infectious diseases, demographic trends pointing to longer life span, greater number of adolescents and youth, rapid urbanization, industrialization, environmental degradation and climate change. Under these realities, the health sector must work to attain a common vision of health for all Filipinos. Its mission is to ensure accessibility and quality of health care to improve the quality of life of all Filipinos, especially the poor.

The DOH Offices

The DOH is composed of about 17 central offices, 16 Centers for Health Development located in various regions, 70 hospitals and 4 attached agencies.

Central Office

The central office is composed of the Office of the Secretary and five major function clusters:

Office of the Secretary

The following comprise the staff support services to the Secretary of Health: Health Emergency Management Staff; Internal Audit Staff, the Media Relations Group and the Public Assistance Group including 3 major Zonal Offices of the DOH located in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. These Zonal Offices are headed by an Undersecretary and supported by an Assistant Secretary. These offices are mandated to coordinate and monitor the implementation the Health Sector Reform Agenda, the National Health Objectives and the Local Government Code with the various Centers for Health Development.

Sectoral Management Support Cluster

It is composed of Health Human Resource Development Bureau and the Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau.>

Internal Management Support Cluster

It is composed of the Administrative Service, Information Management Service, Finance Service and the Procurement and Logistics Service.

Health Regulation Cluster

It is composed of the Bureau of Health Facilities and Services, Bureau of Food and Drugs and Bureau of Health Devices and Technology.

External Affairs Cluster

It is composed of the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance, Bureau of International Health Cooperation.

Bureau of Local Development Health Program Development Cluster

It is composed of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, National Epidemiology Center, National Center for Health Promotion and National Center for Health Facilities Development.

Center for Health Development

Responsible for field operations of the Department in its administrative region and for providing catchment area with efficient and effective medical services. It is tasked to implement laws, regulation, policies and programs. It is also tasked to coordinate with regional offices of the other Departments, offices and agencies as well as with the local governments.

DOH Hospitals

Provides hospital-based care; specialised or general services, some conduct research on clinical priorities and training hospitals for medical specialisation.

Attached Agencies

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is implementing the national health insurance law, administers the medicare program for both public and private sectors. The Dangerous Drugs Board on the other hand, coordinates and manages the dangerous drugs control program. The other two agencies are Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care and the Philippine National AIDS Council.