15 May 2015 – A delegation from Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) led by President and CEO Mr. Raymund Del Val, accompanied by Medical Director Noel Villanueva, and Corporate Research and Development Director Cecilia C. Castillo, MD, paid a courtesy call on the Philippine Consulate General in Manado on April 27 in order to explore possible collaborative opportunities between hospitals and healthcare academic facilities in Manado and Davao Cities.

During the said meeting, the visiting Davao Doctor’s delegation noted the high demand in North Sulawesi for Philippine healthcare and medical practitioners, as well as for medical training, particularly in light of the close proximity of the two regions, which are geographically only 620 km apart. In anticipation of accelerating regional interconnectivity between the two neighbor regions, the delegation expressed interest in a possible Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Davao Doctor’s Hospital and Sam Ratulangi University in Manado, which will involve cooperation in training and exchange of students and professionals, medical services, and joint medical tourism projects.

The Consulate General also took the opportunity to brief the visiting delegation on upcoming Southern Mindanao-North Sulawesi interconnectivity projects, in particular the upcoming Bitung-Likupang-Talaud-General Santos Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO) passenger ferry and cargo shipping service, which is anticipated to commence within Q2 2015, which will allow direct passenger travel between the two regions for greater people-to-people interaction, including greater interaction in medical services. END