MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to implement a general amnesty on interest and penalties incurred for unpaid contributions of employers, business owners, and self-employed members, including a one-time waiver of interest and penalties for 2026.
In a video message released on social media Thursday morning, Marcos said the move aims to ease the financial burden on Filipinos and help them settle long-standing contribution backlogs without additional charges.
“Inutusan ko po ang PhilHealth na magpatupad ng general amnesty para sa mga negosyante, private employer, mga self-employed na ating mga kababayan na may hindi nabayarang kontribusyon sa PhilHealth (I have instructed PhilHealth to implement a general amnesty for business owners, private employers, and our self-employed citizens who have unpaid PhilHealth contributions),” Marcos said.
The President acknowledged that regular PhilHealth payments weigh heavily on many Filipinos, especially those paying monthly.
“Alam naman namin na yung 3% na binabayad para sa PhilHealth ay medyo, na buwan-buwan, ay ramdam na ramdam ng ating mga kababayan (We know that the 3 percent paid to PhilHealth every month is strongly felt by our people),” he added.
Marcos said PhilHealth has been directed to offer a one-time waiver of interest on unpaid contributions for 2026, allowing members to settle arrears without penalties.
“Kaya gagawa po tayo ngayong taon na ito ng 2026 ang tinatawag nating one-time waiver para sa interes (That is why this year, 2026, we will implement what we call a one-time waiver for interest),” he said.
Under the President’s directive, employers will be given one year to pay all missed contributions incurred from July 2013 to December 2024.
Marcos said the amnesty is expected to benefit around 300,000 PhilHealth members.
The President urged employers to update their records and ensure all workers are properly registered under PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan, or Yakap Program, which aims to expand coverage and improve access to healthcare services.
Marcos said the initiative is part of the administration’s broader effort to reduce healthcare costs and help Filipinos cope with rising economic pressures.
“Ito pong lahat ay ating ginagawa para pagaanin ang dalahin ng ating mga kababayan pagdating sa healthcare cost at sa iba’t ibang hamon na kanilang hinaharap (All of these are being done to lighten the burden of our people when it comes to healthcare costs and the many challenges they face),” he said. (PNA)