DBM releases P27.4B for medical aid

The government has released P27.4 billion to help indigent and financially incapacitated Filipinos pay for medical treatment, with most of the funding set to flow through health facilities across the country.

The Department of Budget and Management said the funds will support the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program, which covers eligible expenses such as hospitalization, medicines, emergency treatment and other medical services.

Of the total ₱27.410 billion, ₱19.145 billion will be allocated to Centers for Health Development, allowing assistance to be delivered through partner local government hospitals, private institutions and other health facilities nationwide.

Another ₱4.353 billion will go to DOH hospitals in Metro Manila and the regions, while ₱2.910 billion will support government-owned specialty hospitals. These include the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center.

The remaining funds include ₱950 million for the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital and ₱52 million for Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers.

Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said the release is intended to provide direct relief to families struggling with the high cost of healthcare.

“The ₱27.4 billion we are releasing is meant to translate into real help at the hospital level—medicines that can be bought, procedures that can be performed, and medical bills that families do not have to shoulder on their own. This is a substantial investment, but its true value will be measured by the number of Filipinos it is able to help,” De Leon said.

The funding will also support the rollout of eMAIFIP through the eGovPH superapp, as the government moves to make medical assistance easier to access.

“We also want to make getting government assistance less burdensome,” De Leon said.