• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The 21 essential medicines under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) remain available this year in YAKAP-accredited primary care facilities nationwide, including in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
These include Amoxicillin, Co-amoxiclav, Cotrimoxazole, Nitrofurantoin, Ciprofloxacin, Clarithromycin, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), Prednisone, Salbutamol, Fluticasone + Salmeterol, Paracetamol, Gliclazide, Metformin, Simvastatin, Enalapril, Metoprolol, Amlodipine, Hydrochlorothiazide, Losartan, Aspirin, and Chlorphenamine, the PhilHealth said in an advisory.
Dr. Edwin Mercado, PhilHealth president and CEO, said that members can continue to access these medicines through the YAKAP-accredited clinics in their areas, ensuring timely treatment and continuity of care.
There are 49 accredited YAKAP package providers in Negros Occidental, including three in Bacolod – the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, the City Health Office, and Medisense Laboratory Center Inc.
YAKAP is the expanded Konsulta Program of PhilHealth, which integrates primary care services with outpatient laboratory diagnostics and pharmaceutical benefits.
Those enrolled in YAKAP can avail of free checkup, laboratory tests, or cancer screening tests from accredited package providers, and P20,000 worth of free outpatient medicines under the GAMOT, or Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment, for each member or dependent.
PhilHealth officials have urged Bacolodnons and Negrenses to register in YAKAP to avail of these services.
YAKAP registration in Bacolod and Negros Occidental reached 307,723 PhilHealth members and 727,271 dependents, or 32.15 percent, per the November 2025 PhilHealth press briefing in the city.
Anybody can register in YAKAP, like government and private employees, kasambahays, indigents, persons with disability, self-earning individuals or professional practitioners, PhilHealth lifetime members, or those retired, at least 60 years old with 120 months contribution, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), overseas Filipino workers, solo parents, senior citizens, and children 20 years old and below.
Registration can be done via the eGov app, the PhilHealth Member Portal, any PhilHealth office, or in an accredited YAKAP clinic or provider. | CGC
