Investing in people’s health

In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. underscored healthcare as a central pillar of national development, highlighting landmark reforms and programs designed to bring accessible, affordable, and equitable care to every Filipino.

A key focus of the President’s address was the mental well-being of Filipino youth. With growing concerns over bullying and depression in schools, he ordered the hiring of additional guidance counselors in public schools to ensure that students receive the psychological support they need.

The administration is also investing in early childhood development. President Marcos announced the allocation of P1 billion to establish Barangay Child Development Centers (CDCs) in 328 low-income barangays. These CDCs will serve as vital daycare hubs that monitor immunization, nutrition, and growth of children under six, while providing supplementary feeding.

“The top priorities are far-flung areas. And this is just the start,” the President said, vowing to address the lack of daycare centers.

To strengthen disease prevention and early intervention, the Department of Health (DoH) has been tasked to “fast-track its childhood immunization program” and ensure that all Filipino children are fully immunized as soon as possible. Complementing this directive is the launch of the YAKAP Caravan — short for Yaman ng Kalusugan Program Para Malayo sa Sakit. This enhanced version of PhilHealth’s Konsulta Program expands access to outpatient services, essential medicines, laboratory tests, and even cancer screening at accredited facilities.

Addressing the alarming rise in obesity rates, particularly among adults aged 20 and above, President Marcos encouraged Filipinos to embrace active lifestyles. He called on local government units (LGUs) to revitalize public parks and plazas and to organize activities such as sports competitions, fun runs, Zumba classes, and aerobics sessions.

To further promote wellness, the President called for an expansion of “Car-Free Sundays,” an initiative now practiced in several major cities including Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will also open its track and field ovals in Pasig City, Manila, and Baguio City to the public free of charge.

Improving access to urgent care was another top priority. The President reported that 53 Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) centers have been established in 32 provinces. These intermediate healthcare facilities bridge the gap between rural health units and hospitals, offering services such as minor surgeries and diagnostic testing. Over a million Filipinos have already benefited from BUCAS services between March 2024 and March 2025.

Another milestone emphasized in the SONA was the enhanced PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) benefit packages rolled out under the Marcos administration.

Notably, the Z benefits package for kidney transplants was increased by more than 230%, from P600,000 to P2.1 million. In addition, the number of covered hemodialysis sessions has been raised from 90 to 156 annually, effectively covering the standard thrice-weekly dialysis regimen for a full year.

“For patients requiring dialysis, your thrice-weekly sessions and medicines are now free for the whole year. If a kidney transplant is needed, we have raised the coverage… and starting this year, PhilHealth will also cover health services and medicines after the kidney transplant,” the President said.

Other improvements to the PhilHealth Z benefits include coverage for major cardiac procedures such as heart valve replacements and post-surgical cardiac rehabilitation. PhilHealth has also raised coverage for severe dengue from P16,000 to P47,000 and for mild dengue from P10,000 to P19,500.

PhilHealth benefits for cataract surgery have significantly increased as well, from P16,000 to P80,000, expanding access to vision-restoring procedures for senior citizens and vulnerable groups. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) have also received added support, with PhilHealth now covering mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches, as well as rehabilitation services. The national government continues to shoulder PhilHealth premiums for all PWDs.

For cancer patients, the administration continues to implement the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF), a DoH program mandated by the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA). The government has also earmarked an additional P1.7 billion for cancer medicines not yet covered by PhilHealth. President Marcos also affirmed support for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which helps prevent cervical and other HPV-related cancers.

A commitment reiterated by the President is the continuation of the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) policy in DoH hospitals. Under this scheme, patients no longer need to worry about settling their hospital bills, as expenses for basic accommodation are covered in full by PhilHealth and government funds. This initiative ensures that patients and their families are not burdened by the financial complexities of healthcare access during critical times.

Through these sweeping reforms, President Marcos reaffirmed his administration’s vision of a healthier, more resilient Philippines. By addressing gaps in mental health, childhood care, disease prevention, and treatment affordability, the government is investing not only in people’s health but in the nation’s future.

Source: Business World

Philippines aims for single-digit poverty by 2028

The government remains optimistic about bringing down poverty to single-digit levels by 2028 even after lowering its economic growth targets.

Slower growth often poses difficulties for poverty reduction, the Marcos administration acknowledged, but stressed that recent progress supported a decision to retain existing goals.

“While we lowered our growth targets, we remain optimistic about reducing poverty rates to single-digit levels by 2028,” the updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP) released late Saturday states.

“While slower economic growth typically poses a challenge to reducing poverty, the recent achievement provides a strong rationale for retaining current poverty targets,” it adds.

Economic managers in June cut this year’s growth target to 5.5-6.5 percent from 6.0-8.0 percent, taking into account recent economic developments and external headwinds.

For next year until 2028, growth is also expected to range within a narrower 6.0-7.0 percent range instead of 6.0-8.0 percent.

“Coupled with the administration’s sustained focus on key priorities, such as health and food security, we expect the impact of growth to be more inclusive and pro-poor, supporting the attainment of our poverty targets,” the PDP states.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the proportion of Filipinos living in poverty dropped to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18.1 percent in 2021. The government expects this to further decline to between 12-13 percent this year.

By 2027, poverty incidence is projected to fall within 10-11 percent, slightly wider than the earlier forecast of 10-10.3 percent. The target for 2028 was also expanded to 8.0-9.0 percent from the previous range of 8.8-9.0 percent.

‘Intensifying efforts’

“Poverty incidence continues to fall, and we are intensifying efforts to ensure that the benefits of economic growth reach all regions and communities,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

He said the government was looking to improve the efficiency of social assistance programs by developing a dynamic social registry and refining targeting protocols.

To further empower beneficiaries of “ayuda” or aid programs, Balisacan said that these would be connected to financial literacy and employment facilitation initiatives to help build resilience and the ability to withstand future shocks.

Moreover, transformative social protection is expected to empower individuals and households to rise out of poverty by addressing underlying vulnerabilities and promoting sustainable livelihoods, rather than simply offering temporary relief.

“By strengthening systems that build resilience, it helps prevent people — especially the most vulnerable and marginalized — from falling into poverty when exposed to shocks and risks,” Balisacan said.

Income goal ‘within reach’

The Department of Economy, Planning and Development chief, meanwhile, also said that the country was poised to become an upper-middle-income economy.

“Achieving upper-middle-income status is no longer a distant aspiration — it is now within reach,” Balisacan said.

“Nonetheless, we still have much to do,” he added.

The country’s gross national income (GNI) per capita has risen steadily, from $4,010 in 2022, $4,320 in 2023 and $4,470 in 2024, falling $26 short of achieve the income status that requires a GNI per capita ranging from $4,496-13,935.

“This upward trend surpassed our PDP targets and brought us within reach of the upper-middle-income country threshold, currently set at $4,496,” Balisacan said.

Under the previous development plan, the government set a target of raising GNI per capita to between $4,814 and $4,920 this year. This goal remains unchanged in the updated plan.

For 2026 to 2028, however, targets were revised downward.

The 2026 GNI per capita projection was lowered to a range of $5,124-5,210 from $5,256-5,563. For 2027, this was cut to $5,452 -5,589 from $5,645-6,056, while the 2028 target was adjusted to $5,882-6,081 from $6,044-6,571.

“The country’s progress toward upper-middle-income status will be accompanied by meaningful advances in social development,” Balisacan said.

The government remains committed to advancing human development and building a more dynamic, inclusive labor market, he added.

By diversifying the drivers of economic growth, the aim is to improve job quality and provide more stable, productive, and dignified employment opportunities for Filipinos.

Source: Manila Times

Remove illegal parking

The initiative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to remove illegally parked cars on major roads is well-intentioned, but could be self-defeating if the outcome is only to give more road space to private motor vehicles. Because of the phenomenon of “induced demand,” any measure that makes driving easier by giving more space to cars only attracts further car (and motorcycle) use, eventually leaving our roads even more congested than before.

Because road space is limited, we need to use our roads so that they deliver the greatest good for the greatest number — this means prioritizing the most productive, inclusive and socially beneficial travel options on any road space. The desired outcome of the removal of illegal vehicle parking should be to enhance the safety, comfort and attractiveness of walking, cycling and public transport (instead of offering the added road space to private motor vehicles). Not only is this approach desirable from the standpoint of transportation science, it is what is required based on principles of equity and social justice.

Giving additional road space to private motor vehicles is, in effect, choosing the least efficient and most environmentally damaging application for a scarce resource; it would be a foolish and wasteful use of public assets. One road lane (3.5-meter width) used mainly by cars can move 600 to 2,000 persons per hour per direction. If the same space is converted into a pathway for pedestrians or cyclists, the same space can move five to 10 times more people. If the road space is dedicated to public transport (buses, jeepneys, etc.), the space can move from five to 20 times more people. Any investment in our roads should encourage a shift to these desirable, space-efficient and low-impact travel modes. It is a no-brainer.

Devoting any freed-up space for public transport, walking and cycling also make sense when one considers that car owners are only a small minority in the Philippines. Nationwide, only 6 percent of households own four-wheeled motor vehicles (11.5 percent of households for Greater Manila, defined as Metro Manila plus surrounding provinces). About one-third of Filipino households own motorcycles. This means that the majority of Metro Manila’s population depends on walking, bicycles or public transportation to get around their neighborhoods and cities. This segment is also the most vulnerable and disadvantaged — they should be the focus of measures to improve mobility using freed-up road space.

Pedestrians are endangered when they have to mix in the same road space with fast-moving motor vehicles. For this reason, safe pathways for pedestrians should be a part of any urban road. Sidewalks are essential because they save lives. Unfortunately, all over Philippine cities, many sidewalks have been illegally converted into parking spaces or have become part of the roadway for motor vehicles. In the absence of safe sidewalks, many avoid walking and shift to using a motor vehicle. If we want fewer motor vehicles on our congested roads, we need to rectify this anomaly and make our streets walkable.

With a wider sidewalk, shade trees and greenery can be planted. A tree-shaded street delivers many benefits for a neighborhood, foremost of which is the lowering of ambient temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees centigrade. Because a very large number of trips daily are for journeys of 3 kilometers or less (therefore, very walkable), many of these trips could be completed via walking as long as there are pathways that are safe, shaded and accessible by persons with disability.

The same arguments justify the creation of protected bike lanes out of the road space occupied by illegally parked cars. The owners of bicycles today outnumber the owners of cars by a factor of 4:1. Many more Filipinos would use bicycles to move around our cities if there were safe and continuous bike paths connecting residential neighborhoods to destinations with jobs, social services and markets. Millions of Filipinos are already using bicycles daily to travel — achieving shorter, more predictable journey times; adopting healthier, more active lifestyles; and generating savings in travel costs that can be used for food, health care, personal development or investment.

Freed-up road space should also be used to create dedicated lanes for public transport (which could include school transport and emergency vehicles), enabling them to have faster and more predictable travel times. National and local government planners should meet with public transport operators to discuss how buses and jeepneys can escape traffic bottlenecks and achieve more round trips if offered exclusive road space.

A recent concern is the fact that many jeepneys and buses are parked on public roads when not in use, mainly because they have no access to depots or garages. Instead of penalizing owners of these vehicles, local governments should help to organize common depot space for such units in every locality, so that transport services can also be better managed and coordinated. This is one way that a local government unit can help deliver better services to constituents by enabling public transport operators to be more efficient and financially viable.

Forget about removing illegally parked cars in order to offer more lanes to private motor vehicles. The focus should be on making walking, cycling and public transport safe, convenient and attractive, thereby facilitating a shift away from private motor vehicle use.

Source: Manila Times