Philippines President Marcos Jr. reviews healthcare reform proposals

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Healthcare Sector are advocating for reforms to increase the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in the Philippines. During a meeting at Malacañan Palace, the PSAC presented recommendations focused on reducing the financial burden on Filipino families regarding hospital bills, maintenance medicines, and transportation costs.

A primary focus of the proposals is the expansion of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) initiatives. Specifically, the council recommended strengthening the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides primary healthcare and preventive services, and the Guaranteed Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) program, which assists with outpatient medicine costs.

As of October 8, the YAKAP program has reached 22.42 million registered beneficiaries through 4,677 accredited clinics, while the GAMOT program has served 1.28 million beneficiaries via 3,483 participating pharmacies. Paolo Borromeo, PSAC Healthcare Sector Lead and Vice Chairperson of Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc., emphasized that collaboration between the government and the private sector is essential to implementing these improvements.