The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released around PHP10.377 billion to support the implementation of the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) Program in Department of Health (DOH)-run and six pilot local government unit (LGU) hospitals.
The release of the funds to the DOH aims to advance the Universal Health Care and strengthen the government’s push to ease the financial burden of hospitalization on Filipino families, the DBM said in a statement Tuesday.
“Through the P10.377-billion approved funding, the government aims to address one of the most immediate concerns confronting Filipino families during illness — the financial burden of hospitalization — while strengthening access to affordable and quality public health services nationwide,” the DBM said.
The DBM said around PHP9.377 billion of the released funds would be used for ZBB Program’s implementation in DOH hospitals nationwide.
About PHP3.342 billion was allocated to DOH hospitals in Metro Manila, including the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, and Tondo Medical Center.
The approved funding would also be used to implement the ZBB Program at the National Center for Mental Health, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Center and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
The remaining PHP6.035 billion will support the ZBB implementation in DOH regional hospitals and other government health facilities outside Metro Manila, extending the program’s reach to patients across the country.
In a separate release, the DBM also downloaded PHP1 billion for the implementation of the ZBB Program in six pilot LGU hospitals in Benguet, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Aklan and Sarangani.
The DBM said the funding expands the program’s reach beyond DOH-run hospitals and brings government support closer to patients seeking treatment in their own provinces and communities.
The approved funding is chargeable against the DOH budget under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
The ZBB Program is part of the government’s broader efforts to advance Universal Health Care by helping ensure that eligible patients admitted to participating government hospitals can receive covered health services with minimal or no remaining hospital bill, subject to applicable guidelines and eligibility requirements.
The DBM said the latest funding comes on top of the PHP1.855 billion it released to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), including PHP800 million specifically allocated for the implementation of ZBB.
DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said the funding translates the government’s health commitments into resources that can directly benefit patients and their families.
“No Filipino should have to choose between getting the medical care they need and protecting their family from a hospital bill they cannot afford. This PHP10.377-billion release is about making sure that when our people get sick, government is there to help carry the burden,” De Leon said.
“Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s leadership, we are putting public funds where they can make a real difference in people’s lives,” he added. (PNA)
