On his 67th birthday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced that over P300 million has been allocated to cover services at public tertiary hospitals nationwide, providing free healthcare for patients.
In his speech during an event in Nueva Ecija, Marcos highlighted that the funding would ensure that services at hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu, Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi, and others would be free of charge.
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that all inpatient, outpatient, and emergency medical services, including hospital bills, medications, diagnostic tests, therapy, and dialysis, would be covered at select Level 3 hospitals across the country. These include top facilities such as the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and the Lung Center of the Philippines.
Process for Availing Free Medical Services:
- Patients will undergo an interview with the hospital’s Medical Social Services (MSS).
- After assessment, medical assistance will be provided through the DOH’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.
The initiative is part of the nationwide “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat para sa Lahat” program, which aims to deliver P3.19 billion in financial assistance and government services to 82 provinces.
In addition to healthcare, Marcos’ birthday initiatives include over P1.38 billion in assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment, and agrarian reform aid for 6,000 farmers in Nueva Ecija, freeing them from land mortgages.