Experts: MAIFIP still prone to meddling by politiciansThe network, Universal Health Care (UHC) Collective, said DOH Administrative Order 2026-0031 did not explicitly ban political intervention. MANILA, Philippines — Despite the issuance of new guidelines for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MAIFIP program of the Department of Health, a network of health development experts said the DOH program remains prone to meddling by politicians. Perez stressed that the “new” MAIFIP does not improve the chances of the poor to access health care. “Surveys have shown that 20 to 30 percent of those needing health care stay at home and delay care,” Perez said. Earlier, the DOH said the updated MAIFIP guidelines seek to enforce the ban on guarantee letters issued by elected public officials to cover patients’ hospital bills.

Source: Philippine Star March 13, 2026 23:35 UTC