President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the send-off of 290 physicians under the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) Program, underscoring the government’s push to strengthen healthcare access in underserved communities.

Speaking at the Heroes Hall in Malacañan Palace, Marcos said the deployment of the 43rd batch under the program, comes at a critical time as residents of many rural and geographically isolated areas continue to face limited access to medical services.

“Access to healthcare in rural and geographically isolated areas remains heavily constrained by limited resources, by distance, and the absence of medical professionals,” he said.

The latest batch marks the largest single deployment in the program’s history, bringing the total number of deployed physicians under the initiative to nearly 3,000 since its establishment in 1993.

Marcos highlighted that the sustained implementation of the program led to a milestone in 2025.

“Through the sustained implementation of this program, we have reached a historic milestone of Zero Doctorless Municipalities nationwide in 2025,” he said.

Despite this, the President emphasized the need to ensure continuity and accessibility of healthcare services.

“Hindi sapat na may doktor lamang sa isang lugar. Mahalaga ring matiyak ang tuloy-tuloy at madaling maabot na serbisyo na naibibigay sa ating mga kababayan (It is not enough to have a doctor in one place. It is also important to ensure continuous and accessible services are provided to our countrymen),” he said.

He added that the government is strengthening support systems for healthcare workers, including investments in training, safety, and well-being.

“We continue to strengthen the National Health Workforce Support System. We will invest in your training, in your safety, and your well-being so that you might be able to continue to serve with excellence, to heal with care, and to lead with compassion,” the President said.

The Doctors to the Barrios Program deploys physicians to remote and underserved areas, including geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), to improve primary healthcare delivery.

Marcos urged the new batch of doctors to uphold service and compassion in their assignments across the country. (PNA)