CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Health Center for Health DevelopmentNorthern Mindanao (DOH-10) is expanding its PuroKalusugan program to bring health services
closer to communities, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA)
across the region

Dr. Angeli Loren W. Caguioa, head of the Local Health Systems Development Cluster, said the
program aims to ensure residents in remote communities receive free health services aligned
with the health department’s eight priority health outcomes.
PuroKalusugan supports the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide access to
quality and affordable healthcare under Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care
Act.
Under the program, healthcare workers conduct medical and nutrition consultations,
vaccinations, and health tests through house-to-house visits or at designated barangay and purok
sites.
Caguioa said coordination with national government agencies and local government units allows
the program to address community-specific health needs.
Based on the PuroKalusugan report from June to December 2025, the program reached
communities in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, which accounted for 37.5% of
its coverage. It also served ELCAC barangays at 28.1% and Indigenous Peoples communities at
21.5%.
During the same period, the program served 3,499 puroks in Northern Mindanao, meeting its
target coverage.
The program also vaccinated 9,914 clients and reached 505 children ages 12 to 23 months
classified as “defaulters,” or those who missed scheduled vaccinations.
The initiative also includes screenings for chronic diseases and cancer examinations to identify
high-risk individuals and refer them to Rural Health Units for initial treatment and monitoring.
Through coordination with PhilHealth, deployed teams also assisted 76,081 nonmembers in
applying for PhilHealth membership.
Caguioa said the initiative forms part of efforts to improve healthcare access and strengthen
community-based healthcare delivery.
“PuroKalusugan is more than a healthcare program; it is a movement of solidarity, compassion,
and shared responsibility,” Caguioa said, emphasizing the DOH’s goal of ensuring equitable
access to quality and affordable healthcare goods and services, providing financial risk
protection, and building a healthcare delivery system where every Filipino is connected to a
primary care provider.
“Through strengthened partnerships and sustained community engagement, we move closer
toward healthier communities and a healthier Northern Mindanao for all,” she added.
By the end of 2025, DOH-10 targeted 289 out of 2,022 barangays in the region. In 2026, the
agency aims to expand the program to 1,036 barangays, having access to primary healthcare
services across Northern Mindanao. (GDA/PIA-10)