Cagayan Valley Medical Center

The Cagayan Valley Medical Center started from an army tent. Immediately after the war in 1945, the 37th Infantry put up the 43rd Filed Hospital that came from Pangasinan under Major Anderson of the United State Marine Corps (USMC) treating both Filipino and American soldiers. This is with the wholehearted cooperation of the late Dr. Venancio del Rosario. At first, it was purely a military affair but they extended their services to civilians when they saw the need of it as a result of the war diseases inflicted due to exposure, injuries, malnutrition, etc.

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Time came too early when the American-assisted Clinic stopped functioning. With the guts, determination and resourcefulness of the first Cagayan Chief, the late Dr. Gregorio M. Reyes, the defunct Philippine Civilian Auxiliary Unit was converted into Tuguegarao Hospital on June 25, 1945 having a 25-bed capacity. With this, they continued to use several USMC tents in front of the Cagayan High School. In June 1945, when schools started to open its door to the students and with the early start of the typhoon season, the hospital moved to the war-torn residence of Mr. Pedro Atabug and James Whitney. Through donations, shows and dance benefits, the Tuguegarao Hospital was able to pay the wages and salaries of its staff and personnel.

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At this point, the rehabilitation of the Tuguegarao Hospital was undertaken using nipa roof and sawali walls. The hospital continued to solicit funds just so to survive with the ever-helping funds of the late Secretary of Labor, Mr. Marcelo Adduru. On May 15, 1946, he was able to transfer the Philippine Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (PRRA) three quonset huts without cost to the said hospital for nurses’ dormitory, storeroom, dispensary and doctor’s quarters.

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In November 1945, through a Resolution of the Provincial Board under the administration of the late Governor Baldomero Perez, the Tuguegarao Hospital was converted into Cagayan Provincial Hospital and under the same leadership of the late Dr. Gregorio M. Reyes. He was able to generate and set aside funds for the operation and maintenance of said hospital through the help of the Provincial Board.

 

 

With funds coming from several sources, the hospital started to expand. The old nipa roofing and the sawali walls started to deteriorate and the hospital was forced to moved to the Division of Schools Building and at the same time, started the reconstruction of the two-storey semi-permanent building, now being occupied by the present Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO).

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In 1947, the late Dr. Gregorio M. Reyes resigned and opened his private clinic and started his private practice. Dr. Teogenes Alfonso took over on September 28, 1947. Dr. Justiniano M. Mendoza was the next Chief and his administration was characterized by more improvements and an intensive campaign to rural folks to use the hospital’s facilities, staff and employees. Bed capacity was increased and the two-storey building was completed and inaugurated on March 1, 1951. In August 1952, he went to the USA and studied as a scholar.

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Several Chiefs took over. Amidst some limitations, the hospital continued to offer its services.

In July 1963, the Cagayan Provincial Hospital was designated as Regional Training and Teaching Hospital per Department Administrative Order No. 79, s. 1963 which later was classified as a Tertiary Regional Hospital for Region 02, per Ministry Administrative Order No. 83, s. 1980, dated April 22, 1980.

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On July 20, 1983, the Regional Health Office Laboratory, Regional Mental Hospital and the Cagayan Provincial Hospital were integrated and became the Integrated Cagayan Regional Hospital.

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In February 1986, this was transferred to its present site in Carig, Tuguegarao, Cagayan. A bill was proposed to change its name to Cagayan Valley Regional Hospital but due to the EDSA Revolution (People Power), such proposal died a natural death.

On September 15, 1989, it was finally changed to Cagayan Valley Regional Hospital (CVRH) per RA No. 6782.

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On March 20, 1998, it was converted to Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) under RA No. 8599 with an authorized bed capacity of 500.