MANILA: A five-year initiative focused on enhancing health services and strengthening the Philippines’ capacity to manage health emergencies is slated to begin in 2025, as announced by the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday. The project, named the Health System Resilience Project (HSRP), has been allocated a PHP27.9 billion budget approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
According to Philippines News Agency, the HSRP will target the development of climate-resilient provincial health systems, fortification of health emergency response frameworks, and the advancement of digital health infrastructure across 17 provinces. These include three provinces in Luzon (Isabela, Masbate, and Sorsogon), three in the Visayas (Iloilo, Bohol, and Leyte), and 11 in Mindanao (Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao Del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur).
In addition, NEDA has ap
proved a one-year extension for the implementation of the United States Agency for International Development – Development Objective Grant Agreement (USAID-DOAg) aimed at improving health for underserved Filipinos. The USAID-DOAg addresses key healthcare challenges such as logistics, access to medicines, and the shortage of qualified health professionals in underserved regions. Its goals include enhancing healthcare service delivery for critical health issues like tuberculosis, family planning, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS.
The extension, which is now set to run until September 30, 2025, also involves expanding the project’s reach from 13 to 17 regions. This expansion is intended to close existing gaps in family planning and tuberculosis service delivery, support ongoing DOH health initiatives, and transition health activities to the new USAID – Philippines Umbrella DOAg. The additional regions to be covered are Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, and Cordillera Administrative Region.