DepEd, PhilHealth launch campus-based YAKAP med screening program

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is expanding its flagship primary care program to public schools nationwide, targeting up to 26 million students alongside teachers and school personnel under a multi-agency partnership signed Tuesday.

PhilHealth president and CEO Beverly Ho announced the initiative following the signing of a Joint Memorandum Circular establishing the YAKAP School Health and Protection Program (YAKAP-SHP) with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“What the JMC brings us today is scale,” Ho said at a news conference. “The opportunity to scale this from just a few million students or learners who can be benefiting from YAKAP to targeting all 26 million learners.”

The program extends medical coverage to students, teaching and non-teaching personnel, qualified dependents, out-of-school youth, and learners with disabilities.

Under the agreement, public schools will serve as primary registration centers, allowing beneficiaries to enroll in PhilHealth, select a preferred primary care clinic, and undergo health assessments.

School clinics managed by DepEd may also seek formal PhilHealth accreditation to provide medical consultations directly on campus under a separate five-year agreement.

Health screenings conducted on campus will cover vision, hearing, dental, nutrition, psychosocial, and developmental needs.

Designated care navigators will manage medical referrals to hospitals and specialist clinics, incorporating screening pathways mandated under Republic Act 11650, or the Inclusive Education Act of 2022.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed the agreement, stating that campus-based registration will ensure families easily access state health benefits.

“This is a major development for our teachers, our learners, and their families,” Angara said.

To support implementation, the DILG will mobilize local government units and barangay health workers to assist with community outreach and mobile health caravans. DepEd and PhilHealth also executed a separate data-sharing agreement to streamline registration while complying with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Following the signing ceremony, DepEd officials inspected Ligas I Elementary School in Bacoor, Cavite, to review site readiness for the initial rollout.