A daughter of a mall maintenance worker expressed her gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the newly launched program, which gave much-needed financial relief for her family and allowed them to focus on her father’s recovery instead of worrying about hospital expenses.

“Magkano lang naman po ‘yung sahod ni Papa sa trabaho niya po. Sobrang laki po ng bill niya dito kaya sobrang saya po na magiging zero balance po,” Rica Ligo said.

President Marcos witnessed firsthand how the Bayad na Bill Mo program fully covered the remaining hospital bill of PhP372,561.44 for Rico Ligo, 48, a Fishermall maintenance worker from Malabon, who was on vacation in Alangalang, Leyte, when he was injured in a stabbing incident.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa explained that the new program now applies to all Filipinos, unlike in the past when it was limited to indigent patients, particularly those enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The new program is being implemented in all 87 DOH hospitals nationwide.

Herbosa said the program requires no additional documents or interviews, and all costs, including medicines and professional fees, are fully covered.

Herbosa assured the public that there is sufficient funding to sustain the program, noting that the President has even increased the Department of Health’s (DOH) Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for all DOH hospitals by 15 percent.

EVMC is the largest DOH hospital in the region, with 1,100 bed capacity. It serves patients from Tacloban City, Leyte, Samar, and other nearby provinces. The hospital has 17 specialty centers and handles complex cases, making it a vital healthcare center in Eastern Visayas.

The hospital is improving its systems to make the Bayad na Bill Mo program more efficient and accessible as more patients seek care. Such improvements show the Marcos administration’s commitment to giving quality and affordable healthcare to all Filipinos. | PND