Hospital patients across Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao were discharged without paying anything on September 14 after the government temporarily opened its zero-balance billing program to every confined patient, not just those in charity wards, as part of a nationwide assistance drive tied to President Marcos’s 69th birthday.
The one-day expansion covered 132 hospitals, according to Marcos.
“Normally, only ward patients are covered by this. But on that day, we extended it to everyone. As long as you were in the hospital, regardless of what room you were in, your bill was covered,” he said in a vlog released on Sunday, September 27.
Outside hospitals, community centers and schools served as venues for free medical consultations, distribution of medicines and wheelchairs, and other services. Food packs were also handed out. The President credited partner local government units, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and volunteers for bringing the services beyond hospital walls.
“Overall, we were able to benefit 175,565 beneficiaries across approximately 282 participating sites. That is why we received many letters of gratitude from our fellow Filipinos,” Marcos said.
Among the messages he shared were thanks from a cancer patient who received medical help and from a leukemia patient whose hospital bill was waived and who was given food.
“Even if I was not able to read all of your letters, I thank you, and I am happy and pleased that the little assistance we were able to provide was felt by you and gave you at least a little relief,” he said.
Marcos marked his birthday on September 13 while in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit, which he attended at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his capacity as this year’s ASEAN chair. The assistance activities rolled out the day after he flew back to Manila.
He said his packed schedule left him little time to spend the occasion with his family, and that the aim was to extend help to the public instead of throwing a typical birthday party. A post-birthday gathering was later held on the Palace grounds with the participating local governments and agencies.
“Some of them already had hospital bills amounting to millions of pesos. Those were paid,” Marcos said.
