Push Admin

Lacson to 'institutionalize' free COVID testing, treatment if elected president in 2022

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A child poses for photos after getting inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine at the Pasig City General Hospital in Pasig City on Oct. 15, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/21/20211015-pasig-youth-vaccination-jc-014030600.jpg"/><figcaption>A child poses for photos after getting inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine at the Pasig City General Hospital in Pasig City on Oct. 15, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said he would make COVID-19 testing and treatment free for all if he wins the 2022 presidential race.The Philippines has &quot;missed our opportunities&quot; and &quot;failed to insulate our nation from the most severe impact of the worst global health crisis of our time,&quot; Lacson said in an online forum put together by Cignal TV and FINEX, where he outlined his economic agenda.&quot;It is high time that containment strategies such as contact tracing, testing, and treatment be institutionalized and normalized -- at no cost to the public,&quot; said the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma standard-bearer.&quot;We need to move forward and fast – otherwise, we will drown in this state of misery,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/10/28/21/ph-bottom-again-in-bloombergs-covid-resilience-ranking">PH bottom again in COVID resilience ranking, but has ‘better handle’ of pandemic now</a></li></ul>Under his administration, Lacson said the national government &quot;will fund the high-cost requirement of the Universal Healthcare Act,&quot; which includes &quot;subsidies for all indirect contributory populations, optimal benefits for healthcare workers, and achieve the target of 1 hospital bed per 800 population.&quot;&quot;The Universal Healthcare Act will not only look good on paper but one that actually serves its purpose – healthcare coverage to all Filipinos without any financial burden from out-of-pocket medical expenses,&quot; he said.&quot;Our approach to this health crisis must be proactive, not reactive, based only on science and driven by accurate data and not by pandemic politics,&quot; he said.Earlier this month, several tourism destinations in the country have lifted the mandatory requirement of presenting negative RT-PCR or antigen tests for visitors as the additional cost is among the reasons why tourists have been hesitating to travel.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/28/21/destinations-without-rt-pcr-antigen-test-requirement">DOT releases latest list of destinations without COVID-19 test requirement</a></li></ul>Last month, the Department of Health (DOH) reduced the price of RT-PCR tests again to make them more affordable and accessible in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/01/21/doh-releases-new-price-caps-on-covid-19-tests">DOH releases new price caps on COVID-19 tests</a></li></ul>As of last month, the price of COVID-19 swab tests in the Philippines ranges from P1,000 to P3,360, depending on the hospital or laboratory.If elected president, Lacson said his government would not hestitate to allocate billions more to fund this campaign promise of making COVID-19 tests and treatment free for all as his &quot;economic policy lies on the foundational ground of our health system.&quot;&quot;When everyone is tightening their belts, the government has to be the spender of last resort,&quot; he said.&quot;The government has to infuse money on the economic engine to keep the wheels rolling – until such time when the people are ready and confident enough to step in the economic wagon,&quot; he said.&quot;Spend as government must – but the key here is judicious spending to benefit those who need it, not a well-connected few who rake in large profits through overpricing and ghost or under delivery,&quot; he said.Lacson said his &quot;future-proof strategy in the new normal&quot; would also include giving local governments and private firms more leeway in accessing COVID-19 vaccines, noting that &quot;the regional average of fully-vaccinated individuals outside the National Capital Region&quot; is only 26.6 percent.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/21/lacson-ok-with-less-govt-intervention-in-vaxx-drive">‘Let’s not overregulate’: Lacson wants less gov’t intervention in COVID vaccination drive</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/22/21/palace-all-private-firms-now-allowed-to-procure-covid-19-vaccines">Palace: All private firms now allowed to procure COVID-19 vaccines</a></li></ul><div>LACSON&#x27;S &#x27;FUTURE-PROOF STRATEGY IN THE NEW NORMAL&#x27;</div>The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) earlier said the Philippines incurred a P41.4-trillion loss after several lockdowns were imposed across the Philippines to curb the spread of COVID-19. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/business/09/20/21/neda-ph-recovery-from-pandemic-to-cost-over-p41-t">NEDA says PH recovery from COVID-19 pandemic to cost over P41-T</a></li></ul>&quot;To cure this bleeding, we must push for recovery start-ups through comprehensive and targeted fiscal stimulus packages to aid our businesses in reopening and staying afloat,&quot; Lacson said.&quot;We need to implement eviction and foreclosure moratoriums and employee-retention tax credits to motivate businesses to reopen,&quot; he added.&quot;It’s a harsh reality, but we cannot afford another day of &#x27;on-off, off-on&#x27; lockdowns.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/02/21/ph-economy-to-take-10-years-to-recover-from-covid-neda">Philippine economy to take 10 years to recover from COVID-19: NEDA chief</a></li></ul>A &quot;social safety net&quot; will be provided to those who were &quot;pushed to the brink&quot; during the pandemic, the former police chief said.&quot;We must bolster and reinvent our Conditional Cash Transfer aka 4P’s programs with the overarching principle that every Filipino should bridge the poverty line with a sustainable livelihood or employment opportunities,&quot; he said.&quot;We can tap the corporate social responsibility arms of corporations in pursuing initiatives to provide cash payments under ‘decent work’ conditions to enable them to get back on their feet,&quot; he added.&quot;We must promote a paid internship program where college graduates and undergraduates can undergo internships in government offices, as well as in private corporations and businesses, in order to maximize skills development and productivity.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/21/21/dole-says-more-cash-for-work-safeguards-in-place">Labor dept says more cash-for-work safeguards are in place after &#x27;scams&#x27;</a></li></ul>Lacson said his economic programs are hinged on the eradication of corruption in public agencies so that the government can have more funds that would be spent.&quot;If only the government commits to providing greater equity in resource allocation... and exercise prudence and discipline in fiscal management, in due time, the culture of mendicancy and patronage politics will be a thing of the past,&quot; he said.&quot;We need leadership by example – one that can break away from the politics of entertainment, double-speak, and lip service and stand for the rule of law, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability – the very tenets of good governance.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/21/lacson-sotto-gutter-politics-not-our-thing">Lacson says he, Sotto won’t get involved in ‘gutter politics’ during election campaign</a></li></ul><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1778475" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said he would make COVID-19 testing and treatment free for all if he wins the 2022 presidential race.

Lacson to 'institutionalize' free COVID testing, treatment if elected president in 2022

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

Lacson to 'institutionalize' free COVID testing, treatment if elected president in 2022

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 31, 2021 09:49 AM PHT

Read More:

Panfilo Lacson

Ping Lacson

Halalan 2022

COVID19

free COVID-19 vaccine Philippines

COVID-19 vaccine

free COVID-19 treatment Philippines

2022 elections

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.