Makati City Mayor and senatorial bet Abby Binay vowed to push for amendments to the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code to remove unnecessary roadblocks to the approval of healthcare projects, especially in rural areas.

“The Philippine PPP Code needs to be amended to address certain issues that hinder the establishment of meaningful partnerships between local governments and the private sector that can radically transform healthcare service delivery,” Binay said on Tuesday, May 6.

She cited a provision requiring PPP studies to go through the PPP Center, which delays the approval process and causes bottlenecks.

“Kung tutuusin, maayos naman ang PPP natin sa local level. Nadi-discourage tuloy ang local government units (LGUs) at private partners nila. Tapos na ang termino natin, wala pa yung resulta mula sa PPP Center (In fact, our PPP is fine at the local level. However, LGUs and their private partners are being discouraged. Our term is over and yet the results from the PPP Center are still not available," she explained.

“The PPP Center should serve more as a repository of PPP information than a gatekeeper, so that LGUs won’t have to contend with unnecessary bureaucratic delays,” she added.

According to the mayor, LGUs should only provide the PPP Center a copy of their PPP agreement and need not obtain its permission or clearance, since there are other controls in place, such as the Commission on Audit (COA).

To address this, the senatorial aspirant said streamlining the PPP approval processes will encourage local governments, even those with limited resources, to pursue PPP initiatives that would give their constituents better access to quality services.

She underscored the importance of PPP in improving public healthcare nationwide, citing Makati’s experience in undertaking the country’s biggest PPP initiative on healthcare to date.

“Thousands of Makati residents now have free access to top-tier healthcare services at the Makati Life Medical Center (MLMC) as a result of an innovative public-private partnership,” Binay said.

The city government formally opened the fully-operational MLMC on April 24, recently named as "Integrated Healthcare Provider of the Year" at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 which provides a scalable blueprint for cities nationwide.

MLMC first opened its 24/7 Outpatient Department in May 2023, serving over 46,000 patients in Makati and recording around 300,000 patient visits.

With the launch of all of its medical services, MLMC now offers expanded inpatient and specialized services like 24-hour emergency care, imaging services, elective and emergency surgical capabilities, and intensive care. The hospital ward has 72 beds available.

Makati Life was also the first hospital in the country to acquire an AI-powered digital PET/CT scanner.

This scanner provides advanced cancer detection and supports preventive care by enabling early diagnosis. Other state-of-the-art equipment in the hospital include digital x-ray machines, 2D Echo-doppler, ECG, MRI, 3D Mammogram, Stress Test (TMT), and 24-hour Holter monitoring.

Makati Yellow Card holders get to receive all MLMC services and medicine free of charge.

These include 24/7 primary care and emergency services; advanced diagnostics (MRI, CT scan, ultrasound); specialized clinics (cardiology, neurology, pediatrics, OB-GYN, geriatrics); same-day laboratory results; preventive care including vaccinations and screenings; maternal and child health services; chronic disease management; minor surgical procedures; rehabilitation therapy; and telemedicine follow-ups.