Bicol's first developmental core hub inaugurated

By Rhaydz Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC) has inaugurated the region's first Development Care and Support Services (DCSS) Hub, expanding its former Down Syndrome (DS) Hub to provide free, comprehensive developmental and rehabilitative healthcare services for children and youth with disabilities.

BRHMC Medical Center Chief II Dr. Eric Raymond Raborar said the facility marks a milestone in specialized pediatric care, noting that it is only the third clinic of its kind in the country and the first in the Bicol Region.

“We are fortunate to establish the region’s first clinic for children with disabilities equipped with state-of-the-art facilities through the support and partnership of the NORFIL Foundation, Liliane Fonds, and the Paul Foundation. This initiative aims to serve more patients and strengthen access to specialized care across the Bicol Region,” Raborar said.

With the establishment of the DCSS Hub, which expands the services previously offered by the Down Syndrome Hub, BRHMC places the Bicol Region at the forefront of developmental and disability healthcare services for children.

“Caring for children with disabilities is a major challenge that requires the support of the entire community, especially the healthcare sector. Rest assured that we will maximize the use of this hub to provide free, quality healthcare services for children with disabilities,” Raborar added.

To ease the financial burden on families, the DCSS Hub will implement a zero-balance billing policy and is pursuing PhilHealth accreditation to ensure the program's long-term sustainability.

Willie Houben, program manager of Liliane Fonds, who attended the ground-breaking ceremony in 2025 and returned from the Netherlands for the inauguration, said the project's journey began in 2018 when she first visited the one-stop disability hub at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila.

“I was deeply impressed by the concept—a dedicated space where specialists, doctors, and therapists come together so that children and their caregivers can receive comprehensive care in a single visit,” Houben said.

“I asked myself, ‘Why does this only exist in the capital?’ Every child with a disability deserves this kind of integrated care in one place and in a single visit. That question became my personal mission.”

She said the Paul Foundation shared the same vision of establishing a center providing specialized care, particularly for children with Down syndrome.

“This was not an easy journey. There were challenges, delays, and moments that tested our patience. But what brought us here was a shared belief that every child matters, every child deserves care, dignity, and opportunity, and that no family should face this journey alone,” she said.

Houben thanked the Paul Foundation and all partner organizations for making the project possible.

“What began as a dream—a place where children with disabilities and Down syndrome could receive specialized, compassionate care—has now become a fully operational clinic ready to serve the community. To our partners at BRHMC and the staff who will bring this clinic to life every day through compassion, professionalism, and dedication—you are at the heart of this initiative. Buildings do not provide care. People do.”

Dr. Mariegella Christine Ciocson, Medical Specialist IV, said the hospital has hired two key specialists—a developmental paediatrician and a pediatric neurologist specializing in neurodevelopment—to help address the region's shortage of developmental care experts.

She added that the hub will also implement a structured referral system through the Abot-Abilidad mobile application, a digital screening tool that allows local health workers to record patient information. Children identified by the system as high-risk cases will be referred by municipal health officers throughout the region to the DCSS Hub for further evaluation and treatment.

Ciocson said the program is also pursuing PhilHealth accreditation to ensure sustainable funding for its services.

DOH Bicol Regional Director Dr. Rose Rempillo described the establishment of the region's first DCSS Hub as a symbol of hope for families raising children with disabilities.

“This hub symbolizes hope because every life matters. We remain committed to supporting this initiative. The Department of Health, together with BRHMC and other government hospitals in Bicol, will continue finding ways to provide better healthcare services for the Bicolanos,” Rempillo said.

Dr. Eva Maria C. Cutiongco-Dela Paz, head of the Center for Precision Health and Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital, said Down syndrome is a genetic condition that requires specialized medical expertise.

She said PGH will partner with BRHMC in training healthcare professionals to ensure they are equipped to provide quality developmental and specialized care.

“The partnership between PGH and BRHMC will help develop a well-trained workforce capable of delivering specialized services to children with disabilities,” she said.

She described the establishment of the DCSS Hub as a major milestone that opens more opportunities for children and youth with special healthcare needs to receive timely and comprehensive medical services.

To further improve access to specialized care, BRHMC also launched a mobile clinic that will travel to remote municipalities across the Bicol Region to conduct developmental assessments and train community-based health workers in providing rehabilitation services closer to home.