DAVAO HOSPITAL | PANABO CITY
ABOUT US
Learn about Rivera Medical Center
What is the mission of Rivera Medical Center? The hospital’s overall mission is laid out in the shortened mission statement: “Serving God. Serving People.” Listen to Dr. Ramon Meliton Rivera, M.D., as he explains the history behind the hospital’s mission and its formulation.
Timeline of Key Events
DAVAO HOSPITAL | PANABO CITY
ABOUT US
What is the mission of Rivera Medical Center?
What is the mission of Rivera Medical Center? The hospital’s overall mission is laid out in the shortened mission statement: “Serving God. Serving People.” Listen to Dr. Ramon Meliton Rivera, M.D. as he explains the history behind the hospital’s mission and its formulation.
Timeline of Key Events
1950-1951
Dr. Emilio Bote Rivera, a native of Nueva Ecija province, moved his young family to Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Shortly after, the family transferred to Davao City.
1953
Then-governor of Davao Province Alejandro Almendras called Dr. Emilio Rivera to become the first Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of the newly-created municipality of Panabo.
1961
Dr. Emilio Bote Rivera started private medical practice and built a small clinic beside their home in Panabo.
1984
Dr. Emilio's youngest child, Ramon Meliton, pursued medicine to follow his father's footsteps. In 1984, he passed the medical board exam.
1985
The small Sacred Heart Clinic transitioned into the Clinica Rivera Multitest Laboratory Pharmacy and Hospital.
1992
The primary care hospital grew from 20 beds to a secondary hospital with a 62-bed capacity.
2000 and onwards
RMCI gets upgraded to a tertiary hospital.
2014
RMCI inaugurates its new annex building, which is equipped with more services for the medical needs of residents in Panabo City and Davao Region.
DAVAO HOSPITAL | PANABO CITY
ABOUT US
What is the mission of Rivera Medical Center?
What is the mission of Rivera Medical Center? The hospital’s overall mission is laid out in the shortened mission statement: “Serving God. Serving People.”
Listen to Dr. Ramon Meliton Rivera, M.D., as he explains the history behind the hospital’s mission and its formulation.
Timeline of Key Events
1950-1951
Dr. Emilio Bote Rivera, a native of Nueva Ecija province, moved his young family to Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Shortly after, the family transferred to Davao City.
1953
Then-governor of Davao Province Alejandro Almendras called Dr. Emilio Rivera to become the first Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of the newly-created municipality of Panabo.
1961
Dr. Emilio Bote Rivera started private medical practice and built a small clinic beside their home in Panabo.
1984
Dr. Emilio's youngest child, Ramon Meliton, pursued medicine to follow his father's footsteps. In 1984, he passed the medical board exam.
1985
The small Sacred Heart Clinic transitioned into the Clinica Rivera Multitest Laboratory Pharmacy and Hospital.
1992
The primary care hospital grew from 20 beds to a secondary hospital with a 62-bed capacity.
2000 and onwards
RMCI gets upgraded to a tertiary hospital.
2014
RMCI inaugurates its new annex building, which is equipped with more services for the medical needs of residents in Panabo City and Davao Region.
The Story of Rivera Medical Center, Inc.
By Dr. Ramon Miguel M. Rivera
A Legacy of Faith and Service
In 1950, Dr. Emilio Bote Rivera, a native of Nueva Ecija, moved his young family from Baguio to Bukidnon. Then, in 1951, he and his family found residence in Davao City, where he found opportunities to practice his medical profession.
It was 1953 when then-Governor of Davao Province Alejandro Almendras, asked Dr. Rivera to serve as the first Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of the Municipality of Panabo. Moved by a heart to serve the growing medical needs of the community, Dr. Rivera answered the call and moved his family to newly-created municipality of Panabo.
By 1961, Dr. Rivera started his private practice of medicine. He established a small clinic beside their home — a humble practice born out of compassion and a desire to honor God through service.
His life of service deeply shaped his son, Ramon Meliton, who pursued medicine and passed the medical board exam in 1984. A year later, in 1985, the inpatient ward was accredited — and the Sacred Heart Clinic transitioned into the Rivera Medical Center as it formally began its mission to bring accessible, Christ-centered care to Panabo and beyond.
A Decision of Faith
Sunday outpatient numbers were at their peak. Yet Dr. Ramon, now actively practicing, stood on his conviction that attending church service in full — not halfway — was essential to both his faith and the integrity of his calling.
Even with his father’s practical concerns about slowing momentum as a young doctor, Dr. Ramon chose to close the Sunday OPD, holding fast to the truth of Matthew 6:33:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
That decision of faith became a defining moment. Over time, patient numbers not only recovered — they grew. Outpatient visits rose steadily, and inpatient admissions reached 90%, then over 120%. God honored the obedience with provision.
The private practice of Dr. Ramon and Dr. Zenaida grew steadily in the early 90s, serving hundred of patients during weekdays and weekends. By 1992, the primary care hospital(then Clinica Rivera Multitest Laboratory Pharmacy and Hospital) grew from 20 beds to became a secondary hospital with a 62-bed capacity. Eight years later, the hospital was upgraded to a tertiary hospital.
Growing Pains, Greater Purpose
Staff were overworked and undercompensated due to poor reimbursements. A few doctors did not share RMCI’s values and were more focused on profit than service. Still, RMCI pressed on — guided by a mission to: Uplift our patients, uplift our people, and, above all, glorify God in everything we do.
“Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Colossians 3:17
Built by Grace
In the early 1990s, expansion became a necessity. The first proposed design — a modern 32-bed hospital with an atrium — was rejected for being too expensive and structurally impractical. But God was working behind the scenes.
Through a providential connection, Engineer Rey Aquitania redesigned the plans into a simpler, more stable 60-bed facility — one that did not require demolition of existing structures and cost nearly half the original quote. It was the very design that earned the DOH’s accreditation as a secondary hospital.
It was clear: the rejections were redirections.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” — Proverbs 19:21
Continuing the Mission: Residency Training Begins
As RMCI grew, cultural tensions emerged within the medical team. Some junior consultants and general practitioners, though highly capable, did not share the hospital’s core values. Over time, this led to practices that placed financial gain over patient care — a direction that clashed with everything RMCI stood for.
To protect the heart of the institution and ensure the culture of service and compassion would be passed on, the leadership made a pivotal decision: to start its own residency training programs.
The move was not just about producing skilled doctors — it was about molding physicians who would share the mission of Rivera Medical Center: To serve patients with dignity, To uplift the people who care for them, And to glorify God in all things.
From 1957 to today, RMCI continues — not simply as a hospital, but as a testament to obedience, faith, and God’s faithfulness across generations.
RMCI MISSION STATEMENT
RMCI is a God-centered health institution that provides excellent facilities and services that exceed the expectations of our clients whom we serve and educate, in a manner consistent with our Christian values leading to a high standard of care that is uniquely RMCI.
RMCI VISION STATEMENT
We envision a premier research and training hospital endowed with Christian values that inspires us in providing excellent but affordable health care services that uplift the health and lives of our clients all for the greater glory of God.
RMCI CORE VALUES
These are the principles by which we work and serve in this institution. The values are the beliefs. However, in order that these values impact the client we serve, they need to be translated into practical acts:
GOD-CENTERED PURPOSE: We do everything for the glory of God.
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS: We regard each one as an important part of the whole.
COMMITTED TO SERVE: We commit to serve above & beyond what is expected.
PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY: We uphold the dignity of our professions.
STAFF EMPOWERMENT: We provide avenues for personal & professional growth.
MARKET LEADERSHIP: We set the trend toward excellence.
RMCI MISSION STATEMENT
RMCI is a God-centered health institution that provides excellent facilities and services that exceed the expectations of our clients whom we serve and educate, in a manner consistent with our Christian values leading to a high standard of care that is uniquely RMCI.
RMCI VISION STATEMENT
We envision a premier research and training hospital endowed with Christian values that inspires us in providing excellent but affordable health care services that uplift the health and lives of our clients all for the greater glory of God.
RMCI CORE VALUES
These are the principles by which we work and serve in this institution. The values are the beliefs. However, in order that these values impact the client we serve, they need to be translated into practical acts:
GOD-CENTERED PURPOSE: We do everything for the glory of God.
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS: We regard each one as an important part of the whole.
COMMITTED TO SERVE: We commit to serve above & beyond what is expected.
PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY: We uphold the dignity of our professions.
STAFF EMPOWERMENT: We provide avenues for personal & professional growth.
MARKET LEADERSHIP: We set the trend toward excellence.
RMCI MISSION STATEMENT
RMCI is a God-centered health institution that provides excellent facilities and services that exceed the expectations of our clients whom we serve and educate, in a manner consistent with our Christian values leading to a high standard of care that is uniquely RMCI.
RMCI VISION STATEMENT
We envision a premier research and training hospital endowed with Christian values that inspires us in providing excellent but affordable health care services that uplift the health and lives of our clients all for the greater glory of God.
RMCI CORE VALUES
These are the principles by which we work and serve in this institution. The values are the beliefs. However, in order that these values impact the client we serve, they need to be translated into practical acts:
GOD-CENTERED PURPOSE: We do everything for the glory of God.
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS: We regard each one as an important part of the whole.
COMMITTED TO SERVE: We commit to serve above & beyond what is expected.
PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY: We uphold the dignity of our professions.
STAFF EMPOWERMENT: We provide avenues for personal & professional growth.
MARKET LEADERSHIP: We set the trend toward excellence.