First Level 3 Apex private hospital to offer cancer screenings in Cebu.
CEBU residents can now avail themselves of free medical check-ups, consultations, diagnostic tests, and medicines at the new UCMed Kalusugan Center that opened Monday, Sept. 29, 2025.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation accredited the facility for its Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), giving members easier access, affordable, efficient and quality healthcare services to the community.
But what makes the center stand out is that University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) is the only Level 3 apex private hospital yet in Cebu offering cancer screenings attuned with but separate from the YAKAP program.
With this breakthrough, UCMed will provide screenings for breast, colon, liver, and lung cancers, services that can detect health problems early and improve chances for successful treatment.
Apart from cancer prevention, PhilHealth members and their families can also access consultations, basic laboratory tests such as CBC, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, and creatinine, as well as imaging services like X-ray.
UCMed chair Atty. Augusto W. Go praised PhilHealth for its program and expressed appreciation for the collaboration with his hospital.
“The government is now taking care of our people, not only in giving them health facilities but also medicine,” he said during the program that preceded the blessing of the facility.
“I am very excited that we started this, so we can do some good work for our people. With your (PhilHealth) help, I know we can,” he added.
Accreditation
PhilHealth-7 regional vice president Marjorie A. Cabrieto presented Go and hospital executives the accreditation certificate for UCMed Kalusugan Center to serve as a primary care institution to roll out YAKAP and soon its other programs, like the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT).
Department of Health (DOH-7) assistant regional director Dr. Jonathan Neil Erasmo and Dr. Gerardo Aquino, chief executive officer of Vicente Sotto memorial Medical Center, witnessed the award of accreditation.
Dr. Elisse Nicole “Nikki” Catalan, who represented her mother Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, and Councilor Raul Kevin Flores Cabahug V, also representing Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” M. Ouano, graced the inauguration and blessing.
PhilHealth’s YAKAP is an expansion of its Konsulta program that goes beyond immediate treatment and focuses on prevention and wellness by containing potential ailments that may be detected during physical examination.
The Kalusugan Center is located at the ground floor across from the Medical Arts Building, adjacent to the parking building. Patients may enter through the Mantawi Drive side of the UCMed complex.
“UCMed is proud to be the first private Level 3 Apex Private Hospital in Cebu to offer cancer screening with PhilHealth,” said Dr. Armando V. Tan, UCMed’s medical director.
“Through the Kalusugan Center, we reaffirm our mission of attending to every Filipino’s health with accessible, affordable, and preventive care,” he added, as he echoed the center’s tagline, “Embracing Every Filipino’s Health.”
People-centered
Tan said the UCMed Kalusugan Center will serve as a hub where patients can conveniently access medical consultations, screenings, and health education programs.
He said PhilHealth’s YAKAP program will just be the first public health program UCMed will adopt. More programs will follow, like GAMOT, its outpatient drug benefit package.
The hospital encourages PhilHealth members to register and choose UCMed as their YAKAP provider to maximize the program’s benefits. The Kalusugan Center will also facilitate the registration of those who are not yet PhilHealth members.
UCMed stands as an apex hospital under the Universal Health Care framework, promoting not only cure but also prevention and continuity of care.
As it brings accessible and people-centered healthcare closer to the community, its services are designed not only to address immediate health concerns but also to emphasize prevention and continuity of care.
The opening of the Kalusugan Center marks a new milestone in the hospital’s mission to promote the well-being of the community and to reinforce its role as a reliable partner in delivering comprehensive and people-centered healthcare.
For inquiries, call 517-0888, local 1591 and 1592, or visit UCMed’s official Facebook page.