Bridging the gap: Factors strengthening human resources for achieving universal healthcare among medical technologists in Quezon Province
Joel R. Aguilan & William Christopher C. Salazar
Abstract
This study investigates the status and challenges of health human resources to advance the realization of universal healthcare in the Philippines. Amid the increasing demand for healthcare services driven by population growth, urbanization, and socioeconomic development, the country faces persistent issues such as workforce shortages, skill-mix imbalances, and misdistribution of allied health professionals. Using mixed methodologies, including surveys, and comparative analyses, the research evaluates workforce conditions, and identifies barriers to equitable deployment and utilization. Findings revealed a predominantly young, unmarried female workforce concentrated in private laboratories, with limited years of experience and occupying lower position. Despite a generally functional workforce distribution and satisfactory skill-mix, ongoing concerns about workload, compensation, and the depth of training programs persist. These outcomes reflect broader national trends cited by global frameworks such as the World Health Organization's Workforce 2030, and the HRH2030 Philippines Final Report, which highlight the need for strategic, context-adapted human resource interventions. The study recommends adopting WISN staffing tools, enriching professional development programs, standardizing compensation across sectors, and strengthening governance through streamlined credentialing and interagency collaboration. Ultimately, the research underscores the importance of data-driven workforce planning to build a resilient, equitable, and effective healthcare system, and contributes significantly to policy dialogue on achieving universal healthcare in Quezon Province and beyond.
Keywords
workforce sustainability, health systems resilience, health workforce planning, strategic capacity building, healthcare transformation
Author information & Contribution
Joel R. Aguilan. Corresponding author. Doctor in Philosophy, RMT, MPH, MAT. Faculty, Calayan Educational Foundation Inc. Email: joel.aguilan@cefi.edu.ph
William Christopher C. Salazar. Master in Management major in Public Health Administration, RMT. Faculty, Calayan Educational Foundation Inc. Email: williamchristopher.salazar@cefi.edu.ph
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering, analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work is funded by Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc.
AI Declaration
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used Grammarly for refining grammatical accuracy, correcting punctuation, and enhancing the overall clarity and tone of the manuscript. Furthermore, the author used Gemini for improving the flow and articulation of specific phrases within the data discussion sections to ensure a more cohesive narrative. The author takes full responsibility for ensuring proper review and editing of contents generated using AI.
Notes
This paper has been presented at the 3rd International Conference on Management, Education & Innovation (ICMEI) 2026.
Acknowledgement
References
Alansari, A. N., Omri, A. E., & Singh, K. (2025). Staff shortages linked to burnout, depression, and anxiety among outpatient nurses: A cross-sectional analysis at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar. BMC Nursing, 24(1), 1118. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03758-7
Ali, S., Sethi, A., Soltani, A., et al. (2025). Impact of continuing professional development (CPD) on patient outcomes: A systematic scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 25, 1284. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07883-4
Alibudbud, R. (2023). Addressing the burnout and shortage of nurses in the Philippines. SAGE Open Nursing, 9, 23779608231195737. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231195737
Baumgartner, L., Wright, O., Barne, K., Bartrim, K., Kirkegaard, A., Sullivan, V., Burch, E., & Ball, L. (2024). What factors affect the recruitment and retention of allied health professionals working in hospitals? A systematic literature review. Australian Health Review, 49, AH24287. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH24287
Caino, R. C., & Castillote, G. A. N. (2024). International migration of Filipino healthcare professionals: Perspectives and experiences of former employees in a government hospital in the Philippines. Journal of Health Sciences and Medical Development, 3(1), 12–31. https://doi.org/10.56741/hesmed.v3i01.497
Chang, C. F., Mirvis, D. M., & Mahmood, A. (2026). The high cost of American health care: Understanding the deeper roots of the crisis. Health Care Analysis, 34(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10728-025-00554-x
Chung, C. A., Dabu, J. A. V., Norada, F. R. A., Loreche, A. M., Pepito, V. C. F., & Dayrit, M. M. (2025). Improving health information systems for universal health coverage in the Philippines. Public Health Challenges, 4(2), e70050. https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.70050
Collado, Z. C. (2019). Challenges in public health facilities and services: Evidence from a geographically isolated and disadvantaged area in the Philippines. Journal of Global Health Reports, 3, e2019059. https://doi.org/10.29392/joghr.3.e2019059
De Dios, J. (2016, May 9). PH healthcare industry set for growth. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://business.inquirer.net/210155/ph-healthcare-industry-set-for-growth
De Dios, J. (2026, May 11). Healthcare outsourcing Philippines: How AI is redefining patient care delivery. The Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/business/biz-memos/2026/05/11/2527176/healthcare-outsourcing-philippines-how-ai-redefining-patient-care-delivery
Evangelista, L. S., Serafica, R., Reyes, A. T., Fudolig, M., Kawi, J., & Sy, F. (2022). Addressing the elephant in the room: Structural racism and health disparities in the Philippines. International Forum of Nursing and Healthcare, 5, 14–16.
Farid, D., Lumibao, J., Safar, F., Kassem, L., Gul, Z., Hams, S. A., & Al Abiad, M. (2025). Evaluating the effectiveness of continuing professional development training program: A retrospective cohort study. BMC Medical Education, 26(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-08415-w
Figueroa, C. A., Harrison, R., Chauhan, A., & Meyer, L. (2019). Priorities and challenges for health leadership and workforce management globally: A rapid review. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4080-7
Gilles, I., Le Saux, C., Zuercher, E., Jubin, J., Roth, L., Bachmann, A. O., & Peytremann-Bridevaux, I. (2025). Work experiences of healthcare professionals in a shortage context: Analysis of open-ended comments in a Swiss cohort (SCOHPICA). BMC Health Services Research, 25(1), 520. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12659-z
Griffiths, P., Saville, C., Ball, J., Dall’Ora, C., Meredith, P., Turner, L., & Jones, J. (2023). Costs and cost-effectiveness of improved nurse staffing levels and skill mix in acute hospitals: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 147, 104601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104601
Guignona, M., Halili, S., Cristobal, F., Woolley, T., Reeve, C., Ross, S. J., & Neusy, A.-J. (2021). A curriculum for achieving universal health care: A case study of Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 612035. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.612035
Herath, C., Zhou, Y., Gan, Y., Nakandawire, N., Gong, Y., & Lu, Z. (2017). A comparative study of interprofessional education in global health care: A systematic review. Medicine, 96(38), e7336. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000007336
Koca, M., Deniz, S., İnceoğlu, F., & Kılıç, A. (2024). The effects of workload excess on quality of work life in third-level healthcare workers: A structural equation modeling perspective. Healthcare, 12(6), 651. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12060651
McMahon, G. T., Alnasser, M., Alzouman, H., Aldakhil, L., & Ababtain, A. (2024). Transforming continuing professional development for healthcare professionals to meet national goals in Saudi Arabia. Journal of CME, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/28338073.2024.2378617
Merry, L., Castiglione, S. A., Rouleau, G., et al. (2023). Continuing professional development (CPD) system development, implementation, evaluation and sustainability for healthcare professionals in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A rapid scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 23, 498. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04427-6
Nguyen, L. K. N., McCabe, H., Howick, S., Megiddo, I., Sengupta, S., & Morton, A. (2025). Exploring the drivers of unsustainable pressures in health and social care: A qualitative system dynamics approach. Social Science & Medicine, 371, Article 117913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117913
Pepito, V. C. F., Loreche, A. M., Legaspi, R. S., Guinaran, R. C., Capeding, T. P. J. Z., Ong, M. M., & Dayrit, M. M. (2025). Health workforce issues and recommended practices in the implementation of Universal Health Coverage in the Philippines: A qualitative study. Human Resources for Health, 23(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-025-00988-3
Robredo, J. P., Ong, B., Eala, M. A., & Naguit, R. J. (2022). Outmigration and unequal distribution of Filipino physicians and nurses: An urgent call for investment in health human resources and systemic reform. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 25, 100512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100512
Sarmiento, R. F. R., Overgaard, S. M., Gai, C., Overgaard, J. D., & Ohde, J. W. (2025). Guiding responsible AI in healthcare in the Philippines. NPJ Digital Medicine, 8(1), 338. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01755-3
Sipos, D., Goyal, R., & Zapata, T. (2024). Addressing burnout in the healthcare workforce: Current realities and mitigation strategies. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, 42, 100961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100961
Tomas, T. J. P., Carreon, D. L. M., Dagoy, L. I. L., Manuel, A. C. G., & Ulep, V. G. (2025). The state of health infrastructure investments in the Philippines and assessment of the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) (PIDS Discussion Paper Series No. 2025-05). Philippine Institute for Development Studies. https://doi.org/10.62986/dp2025.05
Uy, J., Siy Van, V. T., Ulep, V. G., Bayani, D. B., & Walker, D. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions for twelve high-burden diseases and five common procedures in the Philippines: A national health insurance database study 2019–2020. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 18, 100310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100310
World Health Organization. (2019, May 28). Addressing the 18 million health worker shortfall: 35 concrete actions and 6 key messages. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-addressing-the-18-million-health-worker-shortfall-35-concrete-actions-and-6-key-messages
Xu, W., Pan, Z., Li, Z., Lu, S., & Zhang, L. (2020). Job burnout among primary healthcare workers in rural China: A multilevel analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(3), 727. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030727
Cite this article:
Aguilan, J.R. & Salazar, W.C.C. (2026). Bridging the gap: Factors strengthening human resources for achieving universal healthcare among medical technologists in Quezon Province. Management, Education & Innovation Review, 3(1), 116-132. https://doi.org/10.53378/meir.206
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Related articles:
![A mixed methods study on digital orientation and digital transformation of multi-purpose cooperative...]()
A mixed methods study on digital orientation and digital transformation of multi-purpose cooperative...![Viewpoints of students toward direct instruction in remedial class: Input for a proposed learning pl...]()
Viewpoints of students toward direct instruction in remedial class: Input for a proposed learning pl...![The mediating effect of innovation capability on the relationship between dynamic capability and bus...]()
The mediating effect of innovation capability on the relationship between dynamic capability and bus...
Most read articles
- Senior High School Strand Alignment and Its Implication to The Tertiary Programs: A Basis for Bridging Program
- Reading Comprehension Difficulties Among Junior High School Learners
- Difficulties in the writing skills of Grade 11 HUMSS students
- Factors Influencing Reading Comprehension and Difficulties Among Intermediate Learners: Basis For Developing Remedial Reading Intervention
- Identifying gender stereotypes of high school LGBTQ students
- Lived experiences of senior high school focal persons in the implementation of work immersion program
- Disaster risk reduction and management on earthquake preparedness: An assessment
- Digital Marketing Strategies Used by Competing Coffee Shops in Candelaria, Quezon: Perspective of Employees
- Analysis of school rules and regulation implementation: Basis for policy enhancement program
- Technical vocational students’ higher learning institution preference and level of academic and skills preparedness