Senate panels want ‘health pork’ institutionalized

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December 23, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to institutionalize the controversial Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), dubbed by critics as a health care pork barrel of lawmakers, has been endorsed by senators for plenary approval.

Senate Bill No. 1593, titled the proposed Universal Healthcare Medical Assistance Program Act, was approved at the committee level following joint deliberations by the Senate committees on health, social justice and finance.

The measure consolidates four separate MAIFIP bills filed by several senators, replacing them with a single substitute bill.

Under the proposal, MAIFIP will become a regular component of the Universal Health Care (UHC) system, funded annually through the national budget.

Despite public outrage over pork barrel-type funds in the 2025 national budget, the current Congress has approved P51.6 billion for MAIFIP in 2026 – up from the P24.2 billion proposed by the executive – instead of abolishing it as called for by 72 medical and healthcare associations.

MAIFIP requires beneficiaries to obtain “guarantee letters” from lawmakers to access the medical aid.

“With the overarching goal of ensuring adequate financial protection for all Filipinos in need of medical care, there is hereby established the Universal Healthcare Medical Assistance Program (UHC MAP), which shall provide medical assistance for a range of medical services to indigent and financially incapacitated persons,” the bill read.

The program aims to provide financial assistance to indigent patients and to financially incapacitated individuals not classified as poor but are unable to afford hospital bills and medical treatment of severe, prolonged or catastrophic illnesses.

The bill defines financially incapacitated patients as those with exhaustive coverage from PhilHealth, health maintenance organizations and other available subsidies but remain unable to pay for necessary treatment.

Registered social workers in participating health facilities will certify eligibility.

To support the program, the measure establishes a UHC Medical Assistance Program Trust Fund, which will be administered by the Department of Health and subject to audit by the Commission on Audit.

The bill also provides for an appeals process through the DOH for patients whose applications are denied.