President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen universal health care through the PhilHealth YAKAP Program and the GAMOT Program during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27.
Marcos said the Yaman ng Kalusugan Para sa Lahat, or YAKAP Program, aims to provide early detection and preventive health services to Filipinos, helping address illnesses before they become more serious.
“Sistema ng universal healthcare ay ang pangunahing seguridad sa kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino, katuwang ang DOH at ang PhilHealth. Daig ng maagap ang masipag. Ito ang layunin ng ating YAKAP program—ilayo ang Pilipino mula sa sakit at tugunan nang maaga ang nagbabadyang karamdaman,” Marcos said.
The President reported that 4.5 million Filipinos have already received medical consultations under the program out of the 25 million registered beneficiaries, as the government continues to expand access to preventive health services.
“Hangad natin [na] mas maraming klinika pa ang makakasapi sa YAKAP upang mas marami pa ang pagpipilian ng ating mga mamamayan,” Marcos added.
Meanwhile, Marcos also highlighted the PhilHealth GAMOT Program, which provides free access to essential medicines for qualified members through more than 2,000 accredited providers nationwide.
Under the program, each member may receive medicine benefits of up to ₱20,000 per year, with 75 essential medicines currently included in the coverage. These include medicines for common illnesses such as asthma, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, cough, and fever.
Marcos said more than 300,000 Filipinos have already benefited from the program within the first seven months of the year.
The President also cited the government’s move to remove value-added tax (VAT) on more than 2,000 medicines, including treatments for cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and mental health conditions, which he said would help lower medicine prices for Filipino consumers.
“Sa buwis na ito na ating tinanggal, ang side effect diyan ay mas mababang presyo nito sa botika,” Marcos said.
Marcos emphasized that expanding health care access, strengthening preventive services, and reducing the cost of medicines remain key priorities of the administration’s universal health care agenda.
