Iloilo board backs WVMC chief, urges no interference

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo Provincial Board has expressed full support for Dr. Joseph Dean Nicolo, medical center chief of the Western Visayas Medical Center, and called on politicians to refrain from interfering in the hospital’s management and projects.

During its regular session on Tuesday, Sept. 23, Board Member Rolando Distura filed a resolution affirming confidence in Nicolo’s leadership, citing numerous awards received under his administration.

These include the Gold Trailblazer Award from the Department of Health, recognition from the DOH Health Facility Development Bureau as the overall top-performing hospital for the 2025 Integrated Hospital Operations and Management Program, and the PRIME-HRM award from the Civil Service Commission VI for excellence in human resource management and ethical governance.

The Board unanimously approved the resolution, with copies to be furnished to Nicolo and DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.

Distura said these honors highlight Nicolo’s competence and justify his continued leadership at the hospital.

The Board’s action followed a controversial DOH order reassigning Nicolo to Zamboanga City, which raised concerns among hospital staff and stakeholders.

Some questioned the rationale for the reassignment given WVMC’s recent achievements under Nicolo, while others speculated it stemmed from internal disagreements over hospital projects.

After receiving appeals and public feedback, the DOH rescinded the reassignment order and allowed Nicolo to remain as chief.

In a separate move, Board Member Rolex Suplico filed a resolution urging all public officials to refrain from meddling in WVMC’s operations, particularly in bidding and procurement processes.

Suplico cited reports of a politician allegedly pressuring the hospital to award contracts to a preferred contractor—an effort Nicolo reportedly resisted and which may have triggered the reassignment order.

“Public officials must not interfere with the management of WVMC, especially in the bidding of projects. Otherwise, that’s graft—a violation of the law,” Suplico said in an interview.

He added that while he supported Distura’s aim, “it was too late to be a hero” since the DOH had already withdrawn the reassignment order.

Suplico clarified that his resolution was not intended to oppose Distura’s measure but to emphasize the need to keep politics out of hospital operations.