Villanueva calls for public hospital expansion to address pediatrician shortage

Joel Villanueva called for capacity expansion in public hospitals to address the country’s shortage of developmental pediatricians. He suggested hiring additional consultants and fellow positions in public training hospitals to remedy the shortage. The Second Congressional Commission on Education noted that regional disparity in specialists has left hundreds of thousands of public-school learners with disabilities without formal medical diagnoses.

A severe shortage exists, with only 109 certified developmental pediatricians operating across 156 clinics nationwide as of June 2026. Villanueva identified Philippine General Hospital as one of the immediate targets for capacity expansion to expand access to developmental assessment and support services.