DOH Bureau of Local Health Systems Development - BLHSD

Section: Special Concerns and Equity in Health

Official Basis for the Count of Active Barangay Health Workers Nationwide

As of 2025, there are 277,767 active, registered, and/or accredited Barangay Health Workers across the country!

The 2025 BHW Census may be accessed through the BHW Connect System Portal at: https://bhw.doh.gov.ph.

The Department extends its appreciation to all participating barangays, municipalities, cities, provinces, Centers for Health Development, MOH-BARMM, and most especially, our Barangay Health Workers, for their continued dedication and support to this initiative.

Together, let us continue to strengthen our community health workforce and advance the goal of ensuring quality health services for all Filipinos.

Messages from Partners and Call to Action | National UHC Summit 2025

We were honored to receive inspiring messages from our partners in advancing UHC:

● Mr. Takanori Morishima, Senior Representative, Social Development & DRRM Section, JICA
● Mr. Arnyl Araneta, Program Director, PBSP

In the Call to Action, Hon. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr., Chairman of ULAP, urged all stakeholders to work together to make UHC a reality for every Filipino.

Panel Sessions | National UHC Summit 2025

People-Centered Service Delivery

In this session, we focused on how service delivery can be more responsive, inclusive, and centered around the people. The conversations were rich and inspiring, thanks to a diverse lineup of leaders:

● Dr. Leslie Ann Luces-Sedillo, Provincial Health Officer, Province of Aklan — shared insights from Aklan’s health service delivery.
● Dr. Robelyn Vera Go, City Health Officer, City of Santiago — on urban health service challenges and primary care innovations.
● Atty. Rey Cris Panugaling, Head, Office of Strategy Management, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center — perspectives from the hospital strategy side.

Reactors for the presentations included:
● Dr. Enrique Ona, Former Secretary of Health
● Mr. Christian Edward Nuevo, Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc.
● Ms. Francia Lariza, Metro Pacific Health
● Mr. Andrew Jeffries, Country Director, ADB Philippines
● Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Secretary of Health, DOH

The session was also moderated by Dr. Maria Eufemia Yap, and rounded off with an Open Forum.

We explored ways to ensure that health services do not just exist, but truly serve—listening to people’s needs, ensuring access, and integrating private and public efforts.

Panel Sessions | National UHC Summit 2025

Health Governance and Financing

In this session, distinguished leaders shared their perspectives on governance and financing, and how these lessons can strengthen Universal Health Care implementation:

● Hon. Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III, Governor, Province of Bataan — discussed key governance lessons from Bataan’s experience
● Ms. Cynthia Barrientos, Provincial Accountant, Province of South Cotabato — provided insights on financial stewardship from the local government accounting lens.
● Reacting to these presentations were:
￮ Dir. Anna Liza Bonagua, Director of the Bureau of Local Government Development, DILG
￮ Dir. Annabelle Yumang, Regional Director, CHD Western Visayas

Moderated by Dr. Maria Eufemia Yap, Senior Research Fellow at the Ateneo School of Government, the discussion included strong exchanges on how LGUs and national agencies can collaborate better to sustain gains under UHC.

Building on Key Milestones to Sustain Momentum for UHC Implementation | National UHC Summit 2025

In this session, we heard strong insights and plans from health leaders as we chart the next steps toward Universal Health Care (UHC):

• Dr. Mary Ann Palermo-Maestral, Undersecretary of Health, DOH — delivered the UHC Situationer and Ways Forward, setting the baseline and challenges ahead.
• Dr. Edwin Mercado, Acting President & CEO, PhilHealth — discussed LGU Opportunities with the National Health Insurance Program, highlighting how local governments can engage more deeply.
•Dr. Lluis Vinyals Torres, Director, Division of Health Systems & Services, WHO WPRO — shared the Asia Experience in UHC Implementation, offering comparative perspectives across the region.

The session wrapped up with an Open Forum, moderated by Dr. Akihito Watabe, Health Specialist, ADB — where questions from attendees helped dig deeper into how these milestones can translate into real actions.

Showcasing Local Innovations at the LGU Exhibit | National UHC Summit 2025

Eight Local Government Units (Paranaque, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Santiago City, Quezon, Pampanga, Surigao del Norte, and Sarangani) proudly came together to highlight their best practices, programs, and services through the LGU Exhibit. This activity served as a platform to showcase innovative solutions, best practices, and success stories on UHC implementation and health systems integration. It facilitated peer learning, inspiration and knowledge exchange among summit participants,

The LGU Exhibit is more than just a showcase—it’s a celebration of the dedication and hard work of our LGUs in building stronger, healthier, and more resilient health systems.

Highlights | National UHC Summit 2025

Six years after the passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act in 2019, the Philippines has recorded significant progress in reforming its health system to ensure that every Filipino has access to quality, affordable health care, while protecting families from financial hardship.

To mark this milestone, the Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), hosted the first-ever National UHC Summit last August 28, 2025 in the ADB Headquarters, Mandaluyong City. The event showcased key reforms, shared success stories, and called for renewed multisectoral commitments to accelerate UHC implementation nationwide.

The Summit convened a diverse group of stakeholders including Local Chief Executives, national government agencies, LGU health officers, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector, demonstrating a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to health reform.

The summit began with a warm welcome message from Ms. Fatima Yasmin, Vice President for Sectors and Themes, Asian Development Bank (ADB).

This was followed by messages of support from our esteemed partners:

• Dr. Susan Mercado, Director for Program Management, WHO WPRO
• Hon. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, National President, ULAP
• Dr. Edwin Mercado, Acting President and CEO, PhilHealth
• Hon. Juanito Victor Remulla, Secretary, DILG

The highlight of the morning was the Keynote Message of Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, Secretary of Health, DOH, on “Putting People at the Center: Translating UHC Commitments into Action.”

The session also featured DOH priority programs and the recognition of UHC implementers, underscoring the collective efforts to bring Universal Health Care closer to every Filipino.

📸 Here are some snapshots from the morning session!