The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the Department of Health (DOH) and development partners have outlined a 16-month reform plan aimed at improving access, equity and efficiency in universal health care (UHC) delivery.

The plan was presented during the 2026 PhilHealth Partners’ Forum held at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters on 13 August, bringing together more than 100 representatives from development and financial institutions, academe, foundations, civil society organizations, government oversight agencies and other stakeholders.

The forum, co-sponsored by the ADB through its Build Universal Health Coverage (BUHC) Project, sought to align partner resources and technical expertise with the health sector’s Shared Agenda and PhilHealth’s multi-year Technical Assistance Agenda.

It was led by DOH Acting Secretary Edwin M. Mercado, Acting PhilHealth President and CEO Beverly Lorraine C. Ho, and ADB Country Director Andrew Jeffries.

The initiative supports PhilHealth’s RISE30 Mission, with primary care identified as a key component of UHC reforms. PhilHealth said its technical assistance agenda will build on existing collaboration in long-term planning while expanding its network of partners.

During the forum, Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go expressed support for and confidence in the agencies’ shared agenda, while ADB Director of the Human and Social Development Sector Office Eduardo Banzon commended PhilHealth’s progress over the past year.

PhilHealth said it will continue working with the DOH and its partners to strengthen the support system for ongoing UHC reforms and called on stakeholders to maintain their engagement toward the coordinated implementation of the agenda.