Text by: Jennifer Manongdo
Photo by: Sarah Hazel Moces Pulumbarit

Representatives from the Provincial Government of Samar and academic leaders from the University of the Philippines Manila discussed possible scholarship opportunities with Samar State University to further strengthen allied health education, research, extension, and community-based healthcare initiatives in the province. Held on May 28, 2026, the meeting also tackled possible collaborations on capacity-building scholarships, faculty and student exchange programs, and strengthening the ongoing initiatives of the Samar Center for Development Pediatrics. 

Led by Governor Sharee Ann Tan, provincial officials are taking aggressive steps to confront a pressing issue in its healthcare sector, marked by a critical shortage of specialized medical and allied health professionals, particularly for children with developmental disorders and special needs. The Samar Center for Development Pediatrics is staffed by one OT and one speech pathologist. Also, there is a lone visiting developmental pediatrician who serves the area once a month.  Governor Tan stressed the need for more occupational therapists (OT) and speech pathologists to cater to the continuously increasing number of patients coming from various municipalities. To date, over 700 children requiring assessments and therapy, predominantly for Autism Spectrum Disorder, have been covered by the Center in Catbalogan city since its opening in early 2025.

The provincial government of Samar is exploring an education framework wherein the general education requirements will be provided by universities in the province of Samar, and the major specialized health tracks will be offered by universities in Manila. In the meeting, UP Manila’s academic leaders said they will explore the concept of “affirmative action admissions” for relevant allied health courses. This program absorbs qualified applicants from underserved areas who fell a little short of ultra-competitive university cutoffs, under the condition that they return to serve their home provinces.

Another idea being explored by provincial leaders is the specialized fellowship model. Under this setup, the provincial government will be paying the salaries of local pediatricians and medical officers while sending them to institutions like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for subspecialty training in developmental pediatrics.

Chancellor Michael Tee said they will be able to respond to healthcare training needs of provinces such as Samar as soon as the Department of Budget and Management approves UP Manila’s petition for additional teaching plantilla positions. 

A formal agreement will be signed between UP Manila and the Provincial Government of Samar to facilitate the partnership.

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