ISABELA CITY, Basilan — PhilHealth is turning to an unlikely but powerful partner in its effort to bring its Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) closer to more Basilanos: the media.
During a Media Partners and Information Officers Forum on YAKAP held in Isabela City, PhilHealth Basilan called on journalists, government information officers and communicators to do more than simply report government activities. The agency wants them to help communities understand how YAKAP can affect their everyday access to healthcare.
Genevive Pascua, PhilHealth’s local health insurance officer, said communication is essential to advancing Universal Health Coverage because healthcare programs can only make a difference when people understand their rights, benefits and how to access them.
The message comes as PhilHealth continues expanding YAKAP nationwide, positioning the program as a preventive-care initiative designed to detect illnesses early, provide primary healthcare services and help prevent conditions from becoming serious enough to require hospitalization.
Why PhilHealth wants the media involved
Pascua said the partnership should go beyond announcing programs and activities.
She urged media practitioners to explain what healthcare policies actually mean for ordinary families, highlight patient experiences, correct misconceptions, challenge misinformation and raise questions about issues affecting communities.
That role becomes increasingly important as health information spreads rapidly through both traditional media and digital platforms, she said.
The forum was organized by PhilHealth-Basilan in collaboration with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), with the goal of strengthening communication about YAKAP at the community level.
The emphasis on communication is not entirely new. In 2025, PhilHealth recognized PIA Basilan as a key partner in promoting Universal Health Care in the province. Basilan Medical Center was also recognized at the same event as a YAKAP provider and a no-co-payment facility.
What exactly does PhilHealth YAKAP provide?
For Filipinos who have heard the name but are still unsure what it means, YAKAP is PhilHealth’s primary-care program intended to help members and dependents stay healthy, detect diseases earlier and receive appropriate treatment before illnesses become more serious.
According to PhilHealth, YAKAP includes primary-care checkups, laboratory services, medicines through the GAMOT program and selected cancer-screening services. The program is open to PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents, including children and other vulnerable groups.
Members first need to register and select a YAKAP-accredited clinic. PhilHealth has been encouraging members to choose a primary-care provider where they can receive continuing care rather than waiting until an illness becomes severe.
The agency’s current directory lists thousands of accredited YAKAP facilities nationwide. PhilHealth’s published 2026 list also includes facilities in Basilan, including Basilan Medical Center and rural health units in several municipalities.
YAKAP is about more than free checkups
One of the biggest changes under the program is its emphasis on prevention.
Instead of focusing healthcare assistance only after someone becomes seriously ill, YAKAP is designed to encourage regular primary care, health-risk assessment, diagnostic testing and early detection.
PhilHealth has also expanded the program to include cancer-screening benefits. The Philippine News Agency previously reported that selected outpatient cancer screening tests were incorporated into the program, subject to PhilHealth’s eligibility and service requirements.
The medicines component is also being expanded through PhilHealth GAMOT, which provides access to covered outpatient medicines through accredited providers. PhilHealth’s 2026 issuances include supplemental guidelines for the nationwide implementation of GAMOT.
The program is already reaching communities
The push in Basilan comes amid a wider nationwide expansion of YAKAP.
In March 2026, the Philippine News Agency reported that more than 1 million people in the Davao Region had undergone their first patient encounter under YAKAP, illustrating the scale at which the primary-care program was being rolled out.
In another sign of expansion, PhilHealth has partnered with the Philippine Statistics Authority to establish a co-location arrangement in five Metro Manila offices, allowing eligible Filipinos to address national-ID registration and YAKAP enrollment in a more streamlined process.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also indicated that YAKAP and GAMOT are expected to expand further in 2027, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Basilan’s next hurdle: making information usable
For Basilan, however, the challenge is not simply having YAKAP clinics available.
The bigger question is whether residents know where to go, what services they can receive, what requirements apply and how to use the benefits correctly.
That is precisely where PhilHealth believes media organizations and government communicators can make a difference.
An informed patient is more likely to seek preventive care, ask questions and use available benefits before a health problem becomes an emergency.
For PhilHealth Basilan, the goal of the media partnership is therefore bigger than publicity. It is about turning information into action—and making sure that YAKAP reaches the people it was designed to serve.
As the program continues to expand, the success of YAKAP in Basilan may ultimately depend not only on the number of accredited clinics, but also on how effectively residents learn to use them.
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