The 21st Davao City Council has filed a resolution congratulating Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for being recognized as the most sustainable and livable hospital in the Philippines. Davao City Councilor Trisha Anne Villafuerte, chairperson of the Committee on Health, said the recognition reflects not only a victory for Dabawenyos but also for Mindanawons and Filipinos who rely on the hospital for medical care.
She said the awards affirm the hospital’s commitment to public service and excellence. “May SPMC continue to heal. May it continue to serve. And may it continue to make us proud,” Villafuerte said during her privilege speech on May 5, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Villafuerte also commended the hospital’s doctors, nurses, and staff for helping transform SPMC into one of the country’s leading public healthcare institutions.
Awards and Achievements
SPMC received the Most Sustainable and Livable Hospital in the Philippines award during the 10th Nation Builders and MOSLIV Awards on April 22, 2026. The hospital also ranked 29th in the Philippine category of the Newsweek and Statista World’s Best Hospitals 2026 list released on February 25. For four consecutive years, SPMC has maintained a Five-Green-Star Rating under the Department of Health’s Green Viability Assessment program. The Philippine Hospital Association also named SPMC first runner-up in the Government Sector Level 3 category of the Most Outstanding Hospital Award on November 19, 2025.
Apart from its healthcare services, the hospital also earned recognition as a workplace, ranking 142nd out of 300 employers in the Philippines Best Employers 2026 list by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista. SPMC Medical Center chief Ricardo B. Audan was also recognized as the Most Visionary Iconic Professional of the Year during the Grand Honors 2026 Asia Iconic Excellence and Innovation Awards in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Overcrowding Concerns
Despite its achievements, Audan said the hospital continues to struggle with overcrowding and manpower shortages as patient admissions rise. He said patient volume has increased by 140 percent while the hospital continues to face shortages in medical personnel. Audan attributed the growing number of patients to SPMC’s reputation for specialized services, including open-heart surgery, organ transplants, and robotic surgery. Because of the influx, hospital hallways are often converted into temporary patient areas.
“We cannot decline patients, so whatever comes in, we have to facilitate,” Audan said in a media interview. “We just tighten things as best as we can while waiting for the law and for the House bill to be enacted,” he added. SPMC currently employs around 6,300 personnel, including about 3,000 nurses and 800 doctors. Still, Audan said the hospital’s nurse-to-patient ratio has reached 1:20, far from the ideal 1:12 standard. In intensive care units, the ratio stands at 1:6 instead of the recommended 1:3. He added that the hospital also lacks specialists, particularly anesthesiologists and pediatricians.
Audan said SPMC is banking on the passage of House Bills 10666 and 5573, which seek to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 1,500 to 2,500. The proposed expansion would also increase the hospital’s budget, funding, and human resources. The bills remain pending in the House of Representatives, and Audan urged lawmakers to prioritize their approval to help address the hospital’s growing demands.
