PHILIPPINE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

A Short glimpse into the current health care status of the Philippines
By: Lloid G. Laureta

Healthcare is defined as the preservation of mental and physical health by preventing or

treating illness through services offered by the health profession (Vocabulary.com. (n.d.).
Healthcare. In Vocabulary.com Dictionary. Retrieved June 28, 2023, from
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/healthcare). Healthcare is a privilege that every people
deserve; it is a general benefit that ought to be accessible to everyone. It should be comprehensive
to everyone without financial difficulties. But how does our Philippine government make our
healthcare available to every Filipino?

The Philippines health system, as administered by the Department of Health (DOH), has
undergone changes that address the needs of the time. These changes were reflected and adapted
in the benchmarks of standards and parameters of performance set to provide the best medical
service to Filipinos. In the latter part of 2019, a pandemic struck the world that paralyzed and
stopped almost everything except the healthcare system of every nation and its healthcare workers.
However, the pandemic exposed the magnitude of the weak healthcare system in the Philippines,
and it exacerbated the situation of every Filipino.

Filipinos die yearly without adequate treatment or seeing a specialized doctor, especially
those living in far-flung towns and municipalities. According to the Registered Deaths in the
Philippines, 2019. (2021, January 5). Retrieved from psa.gov.ph:
https://psa.gov.ph/content/registered-deaths-philippines-2019. There are 1,700 deaths per day,
translating to 71 deaths per hour or one (1) death per minute. This data shows an increasing rate
of fatalities as an effect of inadequate support from our government for our healthcare system.
 As stated in the 2023 People’s Proposed Budget by the Department of Budget Management
(DBM), the total DOH 2023 is Php299.0 billion, Php22 billion higher than last year’s Php277.0
billion. This budget is further subdivided by specific allocations such as for Health Insurance with
a budget of Php100.2 billion, Hospital Services for Php12.0 billion, and Public Health Services of
Php5.1 billion. (2022, September 28). Retrieved from www.dbm.gov.ph:
https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.php/budget-documents/2023/2023-people-s-budget/2023-people-
s-proposed-budget/.

The government should prioritize and ensure everyone can access their projects and target
programs to protect its constituents, the marginalized, and the disadvantaged.

Increase PhilHealth enrollment and improve PhilHealth benefits. I can still vividly
remember the time when the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Law or Republic Act 11223 was passed
under the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. One of its provisions
states that “all citizens are automatically entitled to PhilHealth benefits, including comprehensive
outpatient services.”. Saavedra, J. (2021, March 9). Retrieved from
https://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/1133065. But the status quo, most Filipinos are unable
to utilize such privilege because the healthcare system is facing several challenges in implementing
the law. This includes inadequate funding, limited access to healthcare services in remote areas,
and decreasing number of healthcare professionals.

Our country is well known for producing high-caliber, competent, excellent doctors, nurses,
and other allied health workers. Hospitals all over the archipelago are still experiencing scarcity
due to migrating healthcare professionals searching for greener pastures abroad. Some even opted
to work in other industries, like BPO, to get better compensation and benefits. To address the
agonizing situation, the government should increase budget allocation for the help and
compensation of healthcare workers and create laws that would ensure their safety at work.
 Indeed, healthcare is a fundamental human right that is still deprived of most Filipinos.
And so, the government should be more aggressive in resolving the deteriorating healthcare system
through increasing healthcare access in remote areas, policy reformation, providing additional
funds to hospitals and health facilities, and increasing budget allocation for our healthcare workers.