After a six-month review period, the long-delayed construction of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) is finally set to resume in the first week of January 2026. Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed the timeline, marking a significant step towards completing the vital healthcare facility.
New Timeline and Operational Targets
Mayor Archival stated that the city government and the city council spent the last half of the year thoroughly auditing and identifying the remaining requirements for the CCMC project. With the deficiencies now known, construction work is scheduled to restart in the first week of January 2026.
The mayor expressed optimism about the new schedule, projecting that the main construction could be finished by October 2026. He further announced that partial use of some sections of the hospital is anticipated by November or December of the same year. A major operational milestone is also in sight, with the city targeting the full operation of the hospital's eighth floor by December 2026.
Addressing the Financial Challenge
Beyond the physical construction, Mayor Archival highlighted that securing sustainable funding for the hospital's operations remains a persistent challenge. A key issue is maximizing the use of PhilHealth at CCMC.
Despite receiving over P1 billion in funds, the hospital currently only recoups approximately P300 million in reimbursements from PhilHealth. This significant gap forces the city government to heavily subsidize the medical center's operations.
To tackle this, the city plans a grassroots expansion of PhilHealth access. The strategy involves establishing PhilHealth stations in barangay health centers. The mayor hopes that even accrediting 40 out of the city's 80 barangays would provide substantial help. Currently, only five barangays are accredited, with the status of others remaining unclear.
Archival is confident that once the CCMC is fully completed and operational, it will eventually be able to stand on its own financially and reduce its dependence on the city's annual budget.
Bolstering the Healthcare Workforce
Parallel to finishing the infrastructure, the city is also strengthening its healthcare human resources through partnerships with academic institutions.
Mayor Archival recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with several universities in Cebu. This agreement allows nursing students to fulfill their Community Health Nursing requirements by doing duty at the CCMC and the Cebu City Health Department.
Under this program, nursing students will be deployed to city health facilities. This initiative serves a dual purpose: it provides students with crucial hands-on experience while helping the city deliver health services, especially as it prepares for the CCMC's full operation.
The completion of the Cebu City Medical Center remains one of the top priorities of Mayor Archival's administration in the health sector, representing a future cornerstone of public healthcare in the city.
