Antique: The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) now automatically covers persons with disabilities (PWDs) listed in the country's centralized national database. According to Philippines News Agency, this development was highlighted by PhilHealth Regional Office 6 Field Operations Division Chief Junie Sabusap during a recent press conference. Sabusap urged PWDs to register with the Philippine Registry (PR) for PWDs through their local social welfare and development offices to benefit from this automatic coverage.
The registry, jointly managed by the Department of Health and the National Council on Disability Affairs, ensures that PWDs registered with the PR-PWD receive automatic PhilHealth coverage for both in-patient and out-patient medical needs. The latest data from the Antique Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) indicates that 17,458 PWDs have registered with the PR-PWD as of August 18, 2026, out of a total of 23,411 PWDs in the province.
PhilHealth Regional Vice President Marjorie Cabrieto praised the Local Health Insurance Office in Antique for achieving the highest number of registered members and dependents in the region, totaling 637,181, which translates to 100.61 percent coverage. Cabrieto explained that registered members and their dependents can avail themselves of services from PhilHealth-accredited Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) Clinics and Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) facilities.
Cabrieto further advised that to receive free medicines valued up to PHP20,000 per year from GAMOT-accredited facilities, prescriptions must be issued by YAKAP clinic doctors. YAKAP-accredited facilities are operational across all 18 municipalities in Antique, while GAMOT-accredited providers are available in 17 municipalities. The facility in Tobias Fornier is currently working towards accreditation.
