Maguindanao: The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), serving as the interim legislative body of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), has unanimously passed a bill to upgrade the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital (MPH) to a regional medical center.

According to Philippines News Agency, the newly approved Parliament Bill No. 225, also known as the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center Act of 2025, will convert the provincial hospital in Datu Hofer, Maguindanao del Sur, into a 350-bed tertiary medical center. BTA member and health committee chair Hashemi Dilangalen stated that this will be the first facility fully managed and funded by the BARMM government. The upgraded hospital is set to become a vital referral center for the region, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for specialized care.

The facility, which will be called the Bangsamoro Regional and Medical Center (BRMC), aims to improve healthcare services for the over 700,000 residents of Maguindanao del Sur and neighboring areas. All 47 regional lawmakers present voted in favor of the bill, which will transform the hospital from a Level II to a Level III referral facility.

Dilangalen also highlighted ongoing efforts by the BARMM government to enhance existing public hospitals in the region’s island provinces, which face significant challenges in health infrastructure.