Law expanding R1MC to 1,500 bed capacity signed
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12203 on May 8, 2025, a law increasing the bed capacity of the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) in Dagupan City from 600 to 1,500 beds.
The expansion will help address the growing healthcare demands in Pangasinan and the wider Region 1 area as R1MC, which is marking its centennial this year, is the only Level 3 Department of Health (DOH) hospital in the province and the designated Apex Hospital under the Universal Health Care Act.
The new law also mandates an upgrade of the hospital’s existing facilities and professional services through the creation of additional positions for healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and support personnel.
The DOH, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission, will oversee the staffing requirements and ensure appropriate funding through the annual General Appropriations Act.
RA 12203 is based on a bill in the House of Representatives principally authored by Representatives Ramon Guico Jr., Christopher De Venecia, and Arthur Celeste of the 5th, 4th, and 1st Districts, respectively.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, played a key role in championing the bill’s approval in the upper chamber.
In a Facebook post, the R1MC led by Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia expressed gratitude for the support that made this legislation a reality, calling it a “historic” development and a “gift” for the hospital’s 100th founding anniversary. (Eva Visperas)
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