“Now open to serve our mothers!” – Tanudan Municipal Hospital secures birthing home license to operate

Tanudan, Kalinga – The Tanudan Municipal Hospital (TMH) has officially secured its first-ever License to Operate (LTO) as a birthing home, valid from February 20 to December 31, 2026, allowing the facility to provide safe and accessible maternal delivery services to expectant mothers.

While the hospital’s main building remains under construction, its existing facility has been authorized to operate as a birthing home, marking the first LTO granted to TMH, with a total of three authorized beds. The facility is located at Sitio Banagao, Poblacion, Tanudan.

The LTO and the YAKAP Program

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, PLGU MO III, OIC, and Acting Chief of Hospital Dr. Zandra A. Dupali emphasized that the LTO, along with TMH’s recent YAKAP Program accreditation, will greatly improve maternal and newborn health services in the municipality.

Upon assuming her role as Acting COH, Dr. Dupali led a self-assessment to convert the existing facility into a birthing home, with the support of Governor James S. Edduba and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

“Upon assumption of duty, we conducted a self-assessment for the birthing home since it was the most feasible option for our existing building, while the new hospital building continues under construction through the leadership of Gov. Edduba,” she shared.

Dupali also announced that TMH has been accredited under the YAKAP Program—a maternal and newborn health initiative under PhilHealth—further strengthening maternal and newborn care in the municipality.

In 2025, TMH became a YAKAP provider. Dupali explained that the hospital could be licensed as a YAKAP provider even without an LTO. As a result, pregnant women in Tanudan can now enroll in the program.

“For the YAKAP, the PHIC representative advised that we could be licensed as a YAKAP provider without an LTO. So, while waiting for the Birthing Home LTO, we simultaneously applied as a YAKAP provider, which we successfully complied with in 2025. We were already a YAKAP provider in 2025 but could not roll out enrollment due to updates requiring iClinicSys as the EMR,” she said.

Currently, TMH is conducting a self-assessment for licensing its laboratory with limited services. Its pharmacy is already licensed, while the Type I ambulance license will follow once DOH-CAR provides the necessary equipment. The new hospital building is expected to open in the coming years.

How TMH Started

The milestone marks a significant step for the municipality’s lone hospital, which has long faced challenges in securing full operational status.

TMH was established in 1990 through Republic Act 6876 but only began operating in 1994. The facility was later moved to a temporary municipal building at Sitio Banagao, Poblacion, where it continues to operate today.

For many years, the hospital was limited to providing outpatient services due to licensing issues and the lack of a permanent building. In 2022, the DOH mandated the facility to operate strictly as an outpatient department while it worked toward meeting requirements for a full hospital license.

Despite these challenges, the Tanudan local government has begun constructing a new 25-bed hospital building to replace the current 10-bed facility.

With the hospital’s achievement, Dupali encouraged the community to promote health literacy:

“To all, let’s help each other become health literate and maintain a healthy community for our next generation. To the iTanudans, we are now open to serve our mothers who are delivering their precious babies! Let us progress together for a better Tanudan. And always remember that everything is possible with the Lord Jesus Christ and in His perfect time!”