Koronadal City, South Cotabato — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato is intensifying its community healthcare services through the expansion of its Provincial Family Health Navigators (PFHN) initiative bringing the new total target to 10, 800 health navigators across the province in 2026.
According to the data, the Provincial Government approved an additional supplemental budget increasing program funding from 32 million pesos to 50 million pesos. The processing of submitted accomplishment reports is on-going and currently moving for cash advance.
Furthermore, based on the 1st Quarter 2026 Inventory Report submitted by the Office of the Provincial Health Officer (OPHO), several barangays were identified to require additional navigators to meet the target healthcare ratio of one navigators for every 20 households which aims to improve healthcare accessibility, monitoring, and coordination in communities, particularly in remote and under served areas.
Barangay Affairs Unit (BAU) Head Dennis C. Dignadice, emphasized that the deployment of more navigators is essential in strengthening the province’s community-based healthcare programs.
“Our goal is to make sure that no family is left behind when it comes to access to healthcare services. By increasing the number of navigators, we are strengthening the connection between the people and the government’s health programs,” Dignadice stated.
He added that navigators play a major role in household monitoring, assisting residents in accessing medical services, and supporting local health officers in implementing public health programs.
Meanwhile, Jan Edzel Isales, BAU Program Assistant, said that the initiative will also help reinforce coordination between barangays and health authorities.
“With more navigators deployed in the communities, monitoring and response to health concerns will become more organized and effective. This will also foster our efforts in achieving accessible healthcare services for all South Cotabateño,” Isales said.
The Provincial Government continues to prioritize grassroots healthcare initiatives in line with its commitment to advancing universal health care and improving the welfare of communities throughout the province.
