HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez expressed strong support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s “zero-billing” healthcare initiative on Saturday.
The program, which offers free medical services at 22 public hospitals nationwide, was launched on the President’s 67th birthday on September 13th.
Romualdez lauded the initiative as a significant step towards making healthcare accessible to all Filipinos. “The zero-billing program reflects the President’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that no Filipino is left behind in receiving medical care,” he stated.
Funded by the Department of Health (DOH) with a P328 million allocation, the program covers a wide range of services, including inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care, as well as medications, chemotherapy, dialysis, dental services, and laboratory procedures. These services are available in key hospitals across the country, including eight major hospitals in the National Capital Region, such as the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and the Philippine General Hospital, and 14 hospitals in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“This program relieves Filipinos, especially those in vulnerable communities, from the burden of costly medical services,” Romualdez emphasized. “The broad coverage demonstrates the administration’s genuine concern for the health and welfare of Filipinos in every region.”
Romualdez pledged his full support for the program and its expansion, noting that this initiative is just the beginning of the government’s efforts to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all Filipinos. “As we celebrate the President’s birthday,” he concluded, “we also celebrate his leadership and deep care for the Filipino people.”
