Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) — The Philippines bagged fresh funding worth $600 million (about P30.18 billion) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — aiming to support the provision of health services for all Filipinos under its universal health care (UHC) program.
“The Build Universal Health Care Program seeks to support the government’s initiatives to improve the financing and delivery of health services and implement measures to monitor the performance of health service providers,” ADB said on Friday regarding the recently approved policy-based loan.
The program hopes to expand the use of digital tools for the country’s health sector and ensure data sharing among health information systems and databases, according to the regional lender’s statement.
It will also “bolster” the Department of Health’s and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s implementation capacity, ADB said.
The initiative likewise aims to beef up collaboration with other government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector, it added.
LGUs’ efforts to expand health promotion will be supported by the program, which will also help improve access to health workers and facilities especially in underserved areas.
“This program seeks to boost the government’s ability to achieve its UHC goals and provide timely and equitable health care services, especially for the poor and marginalized across the country,” said ADB Director of Human and Social Development for Southeast Asia Ayako Inagaki.
Signed into law in February 2019, the UHC Act mandates the inclusion of all Filipinos in the National Health Insurance Program. Tax revenues from vices and sweetened beverages help fund UHC and widen access to primary care services.
ADB also said the new program is part of its 2018-2023 Country Partnership Strategy for the Philippines, supporting its focus on raising social investments in Filipinos from lower socioeconomic groups.
The organization said it will also administer a $2-million (around ₱100.6 million) technical assistance grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction — augmenting the execution of local governments’ health policy reforms.
ADB will also be providing technical advice to the Philippines as authorities readies to implement the next set of UHC-related reforms by 2023.
