DBM approves over 1,000 new PGH positions

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management has approved 1,224 new positions for the University of the Philippines' Philippine General Hospital, with hiring to begin immediately and continue through 2027.

The staffing increase will expand medical, allied health, and support personnel at the country's largest government tertiary referral center, which currently operates with a 1,334-bed capacity mostly serving indigent patients.

The department opened the new positions "in response to the request of the UP-PGH... to strengthen the hospital's organizational and manpower capacity to further provide quality health care services to its patients, especially indigent Filipinos."

"With additional manpower, UP-PGH will continue to stand as a beacon of medical excellence in the country,” said DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

The new positions will be created in four phases: first quarter 2025, fourth quarter 2025, 2026, and 2027. 

Each set of approximately 306 positions will only be implemented after the DBM confirms all positions from the previous phase have been filled.

The UP PGH has been persistently constrained by limited space and capacity due to Metro Manila's growing population, which reached 13.4 million as of 2020.

The 10-hectare hospital provides healthcare to more than 600,000 patients annually, including thousands of indigent Filipinos who travel from across the country to access its specialized care services.

In 2023, the All UP Workers Union-Manila/PGH reported that the nurse-to-patient ratio in wards reached as high as one nurse caring for 18-20 patients, far exceeding the Department of Health standard of 1:12 in ambulatory wards.