Today marks the 104th founding anniversary of the Zamboanga City Medical Center. A medical facility that has contributed significantly to public health since 1918 and continuously serves as one of the foremost medical centers in the region. Not to forget, ZCMC played a crucial role throughout the pandemic and up to the present.

In an effort to stop the spread of diseases and meet the local population’s medical needs, the American government established the ZCMC in response to the rising cases of poor public health. Major General Wood, governor of the Moro Province from 1905 to 1906, recognized in his official report the need for sufficient funds to build a provincial hospital, which was eventually built after 12 years.

The medical facility is one of the finest in the land and is efficient in giving medical aid to the sick. It is located at Dr. Evangelista Street, Sta. Catalina, and consists of several pavilions and concrete buildings. Although many improvements and new structures have been constructed to occupy the vicinity, the original building exterior materials and designs, including the memorial fountain at the facility’s entrance ground, have been preserved.

Currently, the medical facility is classified as both a general and a specialty hospital based on the scope of its services and is further categorized as a tertiary training and teaching hospital (Level 3).