The United States has extended a $600 million (approximately P36.95 billion) grant to the Philippines to fortify its health sector, broaden access to quality care, and bolster defenses against public health emergencies, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.
Framed under the Strategic Objective Agreement (SOAG) for Integrated and Sustainable Health Systems in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) is set to implement the program. The initiative focuses on building an integrated, self-reliant and resilient healthcare infrastructure by sharpening disease surveillance, improving service delivery and boosting the nation’s capacity to contain infectious outbreaks.
The Philippine government incurs no repayment burden, since the funding is a grant, freeing up financial resources to channel directly into frontline health priorities and strategic bilateral health initiatives with the US.
“Investing in healthcare is investing in our people, our productivity, and our future. Through this grant, we are strengthening the country’s ability to respond to health emergencies while building a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system that benefits our people,” Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go said.
Aligning with the Marcos administration’s drive for long-term health system resilience, the agreement establishes three core pillars: upgrading disease detection and outbreak response, streamlining health service delivery across various medical programs and expanding domestic capability to manage and fund the health sector.
Key targeted programs will focus on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), alongside targeted interventions for tuberculosis (TB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
The SOAG builds upon more than 60 years of Philippine-US healthcare collaboration, underlining a mutual commitment to public health preparedness, infectious disease control and community-driven economic growth.