Malacañan Palace
January 14, 2025

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued a directive to Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in response to the 2025 national budget, signed in December last year, during a meeting at Malacañan Palace.

President Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of PhilHealth’s uninterrupted services and instructed the DOH to ensure that the zero budget does not negatively impact healthcare delivery. He reiterated the Administration’s commitment to prioritizing social services in the 2025 national budget, focusing on key sectors such as education, health, economic services, infrastructure and agriculture.

Furthermore, the Chief Executive urged Secretary Herbosa to shift the DOH’s focus from cure to prevention, emphasizing that “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound in cure.”

The President also emphasized the importance of digitizing the DOH to improve service delivery and efficiency.

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