The Department of Health–Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) certified two more government-run hospitals in Negros Occidental as adolescent-friendly, strengthening the province’s efforts to provide specialized care for young people.
The province-owned Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital in Sipalay City and the Cauayan District Hospital in Cauayan town received Adolescent-Friendly Health Facility (AFHF) Level 2 status, the health department reported on Tuesday, September 23.
Their inclusion raised the total number of AFHF Level 2 hospitals in the province to eight.
The others include Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City, Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital and Kabankalan City Hospital in Kabankalan, Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital in Hinoba-an, and Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela.
Six of these hospitals previously earned their certification under DOH-Western Visayas.
These facilities not only display clear signages, clinic schedules, service guidelines, and private consultation spaces as required in Level 1 standards, but also deliver a broader package of health services through trained staff who provide on-site interventions or referrals, the DOH said.
Level 2 AFHFs promote safe and age-appropriate health services tailored to the needs of adolescents.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.