DOH-Central Visayas, Zuellig Family Foundation Sign Partnership for Health Leadership and Governance

The Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas and the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 20, 2026, formalizing a strategic partnership to strengthen health leadership and governance capacities of local government leaders across the region.

DOH-Central Visayas Regional Director Dr. Joshua Brillantes and ZFF President and Executive Director Austere Panadero led the signing ceremony in Cebu City.

The agreement paves the way for implementing ZFF’s Bayang Malusog Leadership and Governance Program (BMLGP) in Central Visayas. The program includes the Provincial Leadership Development Program (PLDP) for provincial health teams consisting of executive sessions for governors, and technical assistance, coaching and mentoring on local health systems governance.

Brillantes noted that devolution makes the program essential. The 2018 Supreme Court ruling on devolution (the Mandanas case) and the subsequent signing of Executive Order 138 in 2021 give local government units (LGUs) a bigger share of national taxes. This means provinces, cities, and municipalities now have more money and more responsibility for basic services, including health. Brillantes said, “With devolution, [the program] really is needed by our local chief executives because there’s no direct command from DOH anymore, especially with health programs. [Local health systems governance] is now under the LGUs.”

The partnership also formalizes the inclusion of Central Visayas provinces into ZFF’s Bayang Malusog Community of Practice, a structured learning venue for regional and provincial stakeholders to share implementation strategies, challenges, and innovations on Universal Health Care (UHC).

In his message of support, Panadero acknowledged the ongoing challenges of UHC Law implementation: “The reality is that it’s not that easy. It is always a continuing challenge to get our LGUs to carry out everything that is being provided by law. Timing is very crucial here.”

Panadero committed the Foundation’s continued support. “We are definitely on board, interested, and committed to work with you on this. With your leadership, we will all be able to put together something that we can all say contributed to the progressive realization of UHC. You cannot put everything in one place overnight.”

DOH-Central Visayas Local Health Support Division Chief Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo added, “[LGUs] are the last to know but the first to implement. We hope that with this initiative, we may be able to give them a fighting space so that they can implement programs guided by all of us, government and non-government, so that all our people and stakeholders will reap the benefits of UHC.”

The partnership aims to enable provincial health systems to become more responsive to province-wide health needs, deepen health leadership competencies, and establish integration mechanisms for priority health challenges. 

The program will cover the provinces of Cebu and Bohol. Academic partners from the University of the Philippines Cebu and Cebu Normal University will provide technical assistance.