The Philippines to Suspend Social Security and Healthcare Premium Hikes for 2021
The Philippines House of Representatives passed House Bill’s No. 8461 and 8512 which authorizes the President to suspend the premium contribution hikes for social security programs. The contribution rate for the SSS was supposed to increase from the current 12...
A look at the Philippine health sector during and after Covid-19
The health system in the Philippines has two major defining public health safeguards- the Philippine Health Security Corporation known as PhilHealth and the Universal Health Care Law passed in February 2019 that now extends PhilHealth to all Filipinos. While...
Health getting mere 1% of 2021 national budget for infrastructure – Recto
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Wednesday scored the “biggest factory defect” in the proposed P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget, citing how health infrastructure would be getting only a “microscopic” 1 percent share of total spending for government...
ADB approves first loan under its COVID-19 vaccine access facility to the Philippines
The Asian Development Bank is providing the Philippines a $400 million loan for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. This is the first loan the bank is providing under its $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility announced in...
The Philippines seeks $700-M ADB, AIIB loans for vaccine rollout
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend the Philippines a combined $700 million (about P33.9 billion) by March to buy vaccines and inoculate Filipinos against the COVID-19 disease. Documents of the Beijing-based...
Urgency to transform fragmented health system (UHC Act and Covid-19)
The Philippines has seen relatively more challenges due to the Covid-19 Pandemic than perhaps its other South-east Asian counterparts. Despite the crafting of the historic Universal Health Care (UHC) Law over two years ago, the Pandemic has exposed several gaps in...
Health financing and budgeting practices for health in the Philippines
The Philippines has placed a strong emphasis on achieving UHC. In recent years, earmarked funds from new alcohol and tobacco taxes have substantially increased government funds available for health. This additional funding offers great potential to improve access and...
Coherent health financing for the COVID-19 response: a perspective from the Philippines
MAKING PURCHASING FIT FOR PURPOSE In the Philippines, the COVID-19 response has called for rapid adaptation of purchasing arrangements. In early 2019, the Philippines passed a Universal Health Care (UHC) Law that envisions the national health insurance agency...
Coherent health financing for the COVID-19 response: a perspective from the Philippines
MAKING PURCHASING FIT FOR PURPOSE In the Philippines, the COVID-19 response has called for rapid adaptation of purchasing arrangements. In early 2019, the Philippines passed a Universal Health Care (UHC) Law that envisions the national health insurance agency...
Moving the Filipino health system towards UHC – reviewing the role of national health insurance in the Philippines
The Philippines, a middle-income country in South-East Asia has now had more than 50 years of experience with social health insurance and in 1995 established PhilHealth, the country’s national health insurer. This paper analyzes the environment, achievements and...