Duterte signs law providing health care to all

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte led yesterday the ceremonial signing of the Universal Health Law and the Revised Corporation Code, among other measures, at Malacañang.

In his speech, Duterte said he recognized the importance of the Universal Health Law, the enactment of which would enable every Filipino – especially the indigent – to avail of free and affordable medical consultations and medicine.

The Universal Health Law aims to introduce other significant reforms.

The law will allow the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth); designate PhilHealth as the national purchaser of health goods and services for individuals, especially medicine and health facilities, for under-served areas.

Also yesterday, lawmakers presented to the President new laws, namely, Social Security Act of 2018, Philippine Sports Training Center Act, an act providing for the reapportionment of the province of Leyte into two legislative districts, New Central Bank Act and the turnover of a P4-billion check in Bangko Sentral dividends.

The President also stressed the importance of cooperation between the legislative and the executive branches of government in fine-tuning and facilitating the approval of laws.