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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOH to draft 'politics-free' MAIFIP guidelines under Marcos order

DOH to draft 'politics-free' MAIFIP guidelines under Marcos order

Published Jan 15, 2026 11:03 am
The Department of Health (DOH) is set to draft new MAIFIP guidelines under President Marcos’ order to ensure dignified, accessible, and politics-free medical assistance. (Photo from Unsplash)
The Department of Health (DOH) is set to draft new MAIFIP guidelines under President Marcos’ order to ensure dignified, accessible, and politics-free medical assistance. (Photo from Unsplash)
The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, January 15, said it will draft new guidelines for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Persons (MAIFIP) following President Marcos’ directive to ensure that medical financial aid is accessible, dignified, and free from political interference.
DOH Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Albert Domingo told reporters in a Viber message that the President ordered DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to “lay down,” in accordance with the law, guidelines for MAIFIP “so that it can be easily availed of by Filipino patients, with dignity and without political interference.”
The forthcoming administrative order comes amid reforms introduced under the proposed 2026 national budget, which seek to end the long-standing practice of patients requesting guarantee letters (GLs) from politicians to cover hospital expenses.
In a separate statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, earlier urged the DOH to ensure that the new guidelines clearly outline the process and requirements for availing of medical aid to prevent confusion among patients and hospitals.
The DOH has yet to announce the release date of the revised MAIFIP guidelines but reiterated its commitment to issuing patient-centered and transparent rules that uphold the President’s directive and protect beneficiaries from political patronage. 

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DOH MAIFIP guidelines medical assistance Philippines Marcos order on MAIFIP politics-free medical aid DOH medical assistance program
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