By Helen Castaño | 10:06 PM September 21, 2025
TAGBILARAN CITY — The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) has formally established its Bohol Chapter, a move seen as a major step toward expanding access to cardiovascular care in Central Visayas amid the country’s rising burden of heart disease.
Launched Sunday at the Metro Centre Hotel, the chapter was inaugurated under the theme “Pusong Bol-anon: Spearheading a New Beat for Cardiovascular Excellence.”
Dr. Jane Regner Ramiro, a seasoned internist-cardiologist who has served Bohol since 1991, was inducted as its first president along with 11 other pioneering members.
PHA national president Dr. Walid Amil — the first Mindanaoan and Muslim to lead the 73-year-old professional organization — administered the oath of officers.
He said the creation of the Bohol Chapter is aligned with PHA’s vision of deploying more cardiologists to underserved provinces.
Currently, the Philippines has only one cardiologist for every 44,000 people, far from ideal coverage. Ischemic heart disease has remained the country’s top killer for more than three decades, accounting for up to 19 percent of deaths in recent years. In Central Visayas, cardiovascular disease was blamed for 90 percent of reported deaths in 2025.
The PHA Bohol Chapter pledged to prioritize programs such as CPR on Wheels & Wings, a joint campaign with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry to strengthen Bohol’s emergency response readiness; medical missions and patient education focusing on rheumatic heart disease and peripheral vascular disease screening; and continuing medical education for local health professionals.
The new chapter is the 14th in the country and part of PHA’s growing national network of 2,500 specialists working to boost treatment, research, and advocacy on cardiovascular health.
