HAD the Universal Healthcare Law (UHC law) been passed years back, the Philippines' healthcare system would not have struggled in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic, senatorial aspirant and law author JV Ejercito said.

Ejercito said in a press conference in Davao City on Monday noon, December 13, that the timing of the bill's passage was affected when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.

The former senator, who is again seeking reelection, is the principal author of the UHC law, which aims to make Filipinos become automatic members of PhilHealth and be covered by the government’s National Health Insurance Program.

The law was passed in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic struck a year after.

"It's a work in progress. Wrong timing lang (The passage of the law just came at a wrong timing). We passed this [in] 2019. On its first year of implementation, nagka-pandemic na (the pandemic happened)," Ejercito said.

"Definitely, if UHC was passed earlier siguro, 'yung improvement ng health facilities, 'yung improvement ng coverage, lahat ng mga problema ng fund management, 'yung problema sa mga (maybe there would improvement in health facilities, improvement in coverage, all the issues in fund management, and the) healthcare workers, by now, [may] mga birth pains yan (since it has birth pains), would have been addressed already," he added.

Ejercito, the son of former President Joseph Estrada, also said the country would have been prepared in facing the pandemic.

"Especially with this pandemic... Na-expose nga 'yung weakness ng healthcare system natin (It exposed the weakness of our healthcare system)," the ex-senator said.

He admitted, however, that the UHC takes at least 10 years to be fully implemented.

He said the passage of the law also became beneficial for Covid-19 patients in their hospital billing.

Ejercito also said the UHC would settle in addressing the inadequate health facilities.

He said the UHC is one of the reasons he is running again in the senatorial race as he wanted to ensure that the law will be implemented properly.

Among the salient features of the UHC Law are the expansion of population, service, and financial coverage through an array of health system amendments and a planned paradigm shift to primary care which is the core and center of all health reforms under the UHC.

With UHC, all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and are protected against financial risk.