# Philippines Zero Balance Billing program expansion

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/philippines-zero-balance-billing-program-expansion
> Updated: 2026-09-26T03:03:23.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The Philippine government has initiated funding and expansion for the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) program to reduce out-of-pocket hospitalization costs under Universal Health Care efforts.

Initially, the government approved the release of P10.377 billion to fund the program. This allocation was distributed among Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in Metro Manila, regional hospitals outside the capital, and a pilot program in six local government unit hospitals in Benguet, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Aklan, and Sarangani.

Following this funding, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced an expansion of the program. While the initiative previously focused on patients in hospital wards, it now extends coverage to those admitted to regular hospital rooms across 132 partner hospitals in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-26: Philippines expands zero-balance hospital billing program

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expanded the zero-balance hospital billing program and conducted nationwide outreach, providing medical and social services to over 175,000 beneficiaries.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/philippines-expands-zero-balance-hospital-billing-program

### 2026-09-01: Philippines releases P10.38 billion for Zero Balance Billing hospital program

The Philippine government released P10.377 billion for the Zero Balance Billing program to cover hospital costs for eligible patients in DOH and pilot local government hospitals.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/philippines-releases-p1038-billion-for-zero-balance-billing-hospital-program

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Cite as: Philippines Zero Balance Billing program expansion. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/philippines-zero-balance-billing-program-expansion