DBM pushes quality education for better doctors, nurses

Acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon (right) inspects medical and nursing education facilities at the University of the Philippines-Manila yesterday.

UP MANILA

MANILA, Philippines — Free tuition may open the doors of universities to more Filipino students, but what happens inside those classrooms, laboratories and training facilities will ultimately determine how well they can serve the country.

This was the central message of acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) during his visit to the University of the Philippines-Manila yesterday, as he inspected modern medical and nursing education facilities that demonstrate how public investment can translate into better learning, stronger clinical training and ultimately, better health care for Filipinos.

“Free tuition opens the door. Quality education determines how far our students can go once they enter,” De Leon said.

For the DBM chief, expanding access to higher education must go hand in hand with ensuring that students have the facilities, equipment, competent educators and practical training needed to succeed.

“In health care education, the quality of training today can determine the quality of care tomorrow,” he stressed.

Accompanied by UP Manila chancellor Dr. Michael Tee, DBM Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran, Assistant Secretary Gerald Janda and other UP officials, De Leon inspected the College of Medicine’s Surgical Knowledge Intensive Learning Laboratory thru Simulation (SKILLS) and the College of Nursing’s skills and simulation laboratory, where future Filipino doctors and nurses develop essential clinical competencies before attending to actual patients.

These facilities allow students to develop technical competence, sound clinical judgment and confidence in environments designed to prepare them for the demands of actual health care delivery.

“When we invest in the education of one future doctor or nurse, we are also investing in the lives of countless patients that professional will someday serve,” Kim said.

The budget chief underscored that the value of these investments extends beyond UP Manila’s campus.

In January 2026, for instance, 37 faculty members from other nursing institutions participated in a simulation-based education workshop, gaining teaching techniques they can apply in their respective schools.

This demonstrates how investments in one institution can help strengthen the quality of instruction in other higher education institutions and ultimately benefit more Filipino students.

As the country’s National Health Sciences Center, UP Manila also contributes to national development through medical research, health policy and specialized health care services delivered through the Philippine General Hospital.

Chancellor Tee underscored that government support for UP Manila creates a multiplier effect by strengthening education, research and health care while building the country’s capacity to respond to the health needs of its people.

He also emphasized the university’s responsibility to share its expertise and best practices with other higher education institutions so that the benefits of public investment can reach communities beyond UP Manila.

De Leon also stressed that world-class facilities can deliver their full value only when supported by capable professors, researchers, technical personnel and dedicated university staff.