The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released ₱27.41 billion to help patients who cannot fully cover their medical expenses through the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program.
The funding will cover hospitalization, medicines, emergency care, professional fees and other medical needs, benefiting patients nationwide through the Department of Health (DOH).
The MAIFIP allocation is intended to provide financial support to qualified patients who are unable to shoulder their full healthcare costs.
The biggest share, ₱19.145 billion, will be allocated to Centers for Health Development (CHDs), which extend assistance through partner local government hospitals, private medical institutions and other healthcare facilities nationwide.
Meanwhile, ₱4.353 billion will be distributed to DOH hospitals in Metro Manila and other regions, while ₱2.910 billion will support government specialty hospitals such as the Philippine Heart Center and Lung Center of the Philippines.
The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) will receive another ₱950 million, while Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers will get ₱52 million.
“The ₱27.4 billion we are releasing is meant to translate into real help at the hospital level,” Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said. He said the funding will help cover medicines, medical procedures and bills that families cannot afford on their own.
The funds come from the DOH’s regular budget under the 2026 General Appropriations Act and will also support eMAIFIP through the eGovPH superapp, making medical assistance more accessible through digital channels.
DBM said channeling most of the funding through CHDs will bring assistance closer to communities beyond major hospitals. De Leon emphasized that government medical aid should remain accessible to patients both in Metro Manila and across the provinces.
