DSWD serves over 30K patients through Malasakit Centers
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided medical and financial assistance worth almost P95 million to over 30,500 indigent patients through the Malasakit Centers.
The DSWD reported on Monday, April 26, that it "served a total of 30,584 patients in 2020 through the Malasakit Centers established in hospitals utilizing a budget of close to P95 million.”

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where indigent patients and those who are financially incapacitated can avail of financial and medical assistance from the DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
"It is a one-stop shop so that those needing help need not proceed to the respective offices of government agencies but may avail of their services simultaneously in one venue and it applies a zero-balance billing system,” the DSWD said.
"For patients staying in a hospital without a Malasakit Center , they may be referred to the nearest hospital where a Malasakit Center is operating.”
Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Center Act, which was signed into law on Dec. 3, 2019, mandates the establishment of Malasakit Centers in all hospitals run by the DOH to complement the Republic Act 11223 or Universal Health Care Act.
The DSWD said it has deployed one social worker in every Malasakit Center to assess and assist the applicants.
Currently, there are 102 Malasakit Centers all over the country, it noted. Of these centers, 56 are located in Luzon, 22 are in Visayas and 24 in Mindanao.
"With the Malasakit Center, the DSWD, together with other partner-agencies, is able to reach out to more individuals in crisis situation, especially during this pandemic.”