By Rembrandt D. Bonita – BSN II
Progress is a word that resonates deeply with every community. It speaks of development, advancement, and a future that promises better living conditions for all. In Dumaguete City, the ongoing construction of The Medical City has been celebrated as a mark of progress, attracting investments and catching up with urban centers across the country. On paper, this seems like an undeniable step forward.
Yet, beneath the glow of this promise lies a more depressing reality. While a new hospital rises with modern architecture and advanced facilities, the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH), a facility that serves thousands of indigent patients, continues to struggle with issues that have long been ignored. Overcrowded wards, insufficient medical supplies, limited staff, and deteriorating infrastructure are just some of the challenges faced daily by both patients and healthcare workers. (Department of Health, 2023).
This raises the question of what “progress” really is. Is progress defined by the presence of new buildings, or by improvement of systems that directly uplift the lives of the people? The construction of The Medical City undoubtedly brings opportunities, more jobs, better health care options for those who can afford it, but it also highlights a painful truth: Public healthcare, the one meant for the masses, remains stagnant and underfunded. (World Health Organization, 2022)
Instead of directing more attention to and support toward enhancing NOPH, the focus seems to be shifting toward privatized health. This dynamic divides between those who can pay for quality care and those who endure the limitations of a decaying system. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (2021), disparities in health funding between private and public hospitals continue to widen, leaving government facilities struggling to meet basic standards. The result is a healthcare landscape that prioritizes profit over people.
True progress must be inclusive and uplifts everyone, not just a privileged few. Modernizing the provincial hospital would only improve patient care but also restore the public’s faith in government supported health institutions. It would mean better working conditions for medical staff, safer and more sanitary spaces for patients, and the ability to respond effectively to health emergencies and outbreaks. (DOH, 2023)
The construction of new facilities should not be viewed as a problem, but it becomes one when it overshadows the urgent needs of existing institutions. Development must be balanced with responsibility. It must address the root causes of decay before celebrating new milestones. Dumaguete deserves hospitals that serve all classes of society with dignity, accessibility and compassion. (Universal Health Care Act, Republic Act No. 11223, 2019).
In the end, progress is not merely about what we build, but who benefits from it. If the promise of modernity leaves the vulnerable behind, then what we call progress is nothing more than a polished illusion, a reflection of priorities misplaced between the promise of progress and the reality of decay.
