“Investments in health should lead to meaningful and sustainable gains at the community level,” PhilHealth Acting President and CEO Dr. Beverly Ho said at the 1st Unilab Foundation Executive Symposium held at Pasig City on September 28, 2026.
To maximize the financing from PhilHealth and DOH, local government units (LGUs) must go beyond running public health facilities and lead the integration of their local health systems. Dr. Ho presented PhilHealth YAKAP as the gateway to province- and city-wide health systems. As PhilHealth funds individual-based services through YAKAP and GAMOT, LGUs can channel their own resources to run population-based public health programs. She urged local leaders to deliver improvements for their constituents through YAKAP empanelment to their facility of choice and investment to EMR, epidemiology & surveillance, health promotion, and non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.
Dr. Ho affirmed that PhilHealth will continue working with the DOH to support LGUs, with the upcoming roll out of the enhanced YAKAP and GAMOT programs.
The symposium gathered public and private sector leaders to discuss ways to strengthen health systems and advance Universal Health Care. ###
