Senatorial aspirant Abby Binay aims to replicate her free maintenance program for the country’s poorest citizens as part of her priority legislative agenda.

The Makati city government has allocated P8 billion to provide maintenance medicines and other pharmaceutical needs for hundreds of thousands of city residents since 2017.

The free medicine program covers treatments for hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, enlarged prostate, gout, cough, colds, sexually transmitted infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, seizure disorders, allergies, ulcers, vertigo, gastrointestinal issues and other conditions.

The program is part of Makati’s comprehensive health strategy, which includes preventive care, chronic disease management, and emergency medical services, all covered by the innovative Yellow Card or Makati Health Plus Program.

Abby stated that maintenance medicine should be provided for free to those who cannot afford it. “That will be one of my priorities,” she said.

She mentioned possible funding options, including Congress allocating a portion of the budget or exploring public-private partnerships to improve access to quality healthcare for the poor.

The mayor emphasized that this initiative will be part of her priority bills focused on strengthening social programs, particularly in health and education, during her certificate of candidacy filing for senator at the Manila Hotel’s Tent City on Friday.

“We need to build better social programs, primarily in health and education. Strengthening our social programs will not only benefit our citizens but will also spur economic growth,” Binay said.

She added that addressing healthcare concerns will enable citizens to focus more on their livelihoods and family needs.

“When citizens no longer have to worry about health costs, they can better care for their families,” she said.