A Thanksgiving Luncheon held at Bactol Hall, Fernando Air Base (FAB) in Lipa City, Batangas on Thursday, August 14, 2026, served as the setting for Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. to take stock of what the Veterans Access to Lifetime Optimized Healthcare (VALOR) Clinic program has achieved in its first full year — and to lay out where it is headed next.
The anniversary gathering drew senior defense officials, military leaders, healthcare workers, veterans, and program partners, all convened to acknowledge the shared work of delivering medical services directly to Filipino veterans and their families.
Patient Volume Grows Fivefold in Twelve Months
When the Fernando Air Base VALOR Clinic first opened its doors, it handled roughly 200 patients in its inaugural month. According to Secretary Teodoro, that figure has since climbed to approximately 1,000 patients per month — a fivefold increase achieved within a single year of operations.
The operational schedule has expanded just as dramatically. Teodoro noted during the anniversary event that the clinic initially ran only once a week, constrained by limited staffing. It now operates at least five days a week, allowing far more veterans and their dependents to access care on a consistent basis.
AFP and VMMC Systems to Be Integrated for Preventive Focus
Secretary Teodoro framed the clinic's growth within a broader strategic vision: the eventual integration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) medical system with the veterans' medical system under the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC).
"The clients of the AFP medical system will be clients of the VMMC, and the sooner we can mitigate their conditions through preventive healthcare, the less problems we will have when they get older," Teodoro said, as quoted in the Department of National Defense's account of the event.
Under this roadmap, the VMMC is envisioned to evolve into a highly specialized tertiary care hospital — one that handles cases requiring advanced equipment and expertise beyond what local hospitals, outreach facilities, or the AFP Medical Center can provide. Teodoro described it as a facility for cases "that cannot be remedied by any other medical facility," positioning the VMMC as the apex of a tiered military and veterans' healthcare network.
President Marcos Commits PHP40 Million to Sustain Operations
Keeping the VALOR Clinics running comes with logistical hurdles. The Department of National Defense acknowledged ongoing concerns around staffing levels, internet connectivity, storage capacity, and medical data privacy — challenges that must be addressed as the network scales up.
To help close these gaps, Teodoro disclosed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has committed an additional PHP40 million in funding for VALOR Clinic operations this year. The presidential commitment, according to Teodoro, is intended to sustain and expand the clinics' service capacity as the program enters its second year.
New Clinics Planned for Cagayan de Oro and Tarlac
Geographic expansion is also on the agenda. Secretary Teodoro announced that new VALOR Clinics are expected to open in Cagayan de Oro and at Camp Aquino in Tarlac City within the year. A clinic at Fort Magsaysay is also being considered, pending the availability of necessary logistics and support infrastructure.
The expansion is designed to bring the program's services to veteran communities in areas not yet covered by the existing network, addressing what Teodoro described as a gap in regional access to structured veterans' healthcare.
VMMC Infrastructure to Receive Major Upgrades
Alongside the VALOR Clinic expansion, Teodoro outlined rehabilitation plans for the VMMC itself. Proposed improvements include the construction of a larger outpatient department, dedicated specialized centers, an expanded triage area, a research facility, and a medical waste disposal system.
"The VMMC will be a high-quality, high-tier specialized medical center for cases that cannot be remedied by any other medical facility or the AFP medical center for active-duty personnel," Teodoro said. "So that is the roadmap right now. And that's where we will go."
Long Wait Times Acknowledged, Partnerships Proposed as Solution
Despite the program's gains, Secretary Teodoro acknowledged that rising patient demand has created longer waiting times at both the VMMC and the VALOR Clinics. Rather than viewing this as a failure, he framed it as a sign that veterans are actively seeking out and valuing the services available to them.
The Department of National Defense indicated that one approach being explored to ease the backlog is forging partnerships with local hospitals, with cases beyond their capacity to be referred upward to the VMMC. Shortening wait times, Teodoro said, remains a priority as the program continues to scale.
Transition Counseling for Retiring Military Personnel
The Secretary also used the occasion to announce a new initiative targeting active-duty personnel approaching the end of their military careers. A transition program will be introduced six months before mandatory retirement, offering counseling services for both the personnel themselves and their families as they prepare to re-enter civilian life.
Teodoro framed the initiative as part of a wider emphasis on preventive care and mental wellness, extending the government's healthcare commitment to service members while they are still in uniform — not only after they become veterans.
By the Numbers
- 200 — patients served at the FAB VALOR Clinic during its first month of operations
- ~1,000 — patients served per month after one full year of operations
- 1 day per week — original operating frequency due to staffing constraints
- 5 days per week — current operating schedule at the Fernando Air Base VALOR Clinic
- PHP40 million — additional funding committed by President Marcos for VALOR Clinic operations this year
- 6 months — lead time before mandatory retirement when the new transition counseling program will be introduced
Why This Matters
The VALOR Clinic program demonstrates a measurable expansion of government-funded healthcare for Filipino veterans, with the Fernando Air Base facility alone recording a fivefold increase in monthly patients within its first year. The planned merger of AFP and VMMC medical systems — supported by PHP40 million in fresh presidential funding — points to a structural realignment of how the state delivers both preventive and specialized care to those who have served in the armed forces. Expansion to Cagayan de Oro, Tarlac City, and potentially Fort Magsaysay will extend the network's reach to veteran populations in regions currently outside the program's coverage.
Source: Department of National Defense / breakingnewsnegor.com