COTABATO CITY(November 17) — A proposed law in the Bangsamoro Parliament aims to give the region its first-ever dedicated children’s hospital — a move seen as a major step forward for healthcare access in the BARMM.
Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Member of Parliament Naguib Sinarimbo has filed Parliament Bill No. 397, which seeks to establish a 200-bed Bangsamoro Children’s Hospital in Cotabato City. The facility would exclusively cater to infants, toddlers, and young patients across the region.
Sinarimbo said the hospital is envisioned as a “sanctuary of healing” for the Bangsamoro’s youngest and most vulnerable. “This measure seeks to ensure that no child in the Bangsamoro is denied medical attention because of poverty or distance,” he said.
If approved, the modern hospital would offer pediatric and neonatal care, nutrition services, and expanded immunization programs — services that remain limited in several provinces and island communities in the region.
The Bangsamoro Ministry of Health would oversee the facility, which Sinarimbo hopes will help raise health outcomes and ensure that “the region’s future leaders get the care they deserve.”
For many families in far-flung and conflict-affected areas of BARMM, the proposed hospital signals long-awaited progress in bringing specialized medical services closer to home.
