Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Doctors care for leptospirosis patients at the Ospital ng Tondo in Manila on August 13, 2025. The hospital has opened one of its rooms to accommodate the remaining leptospirosis patients still receiving treatment following exposure during the recent storms. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175558047522120250813-health-leptospirosis-tondo-hospital-JC4752.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Doctors care for leptospirosis patients at the Ospital ng Tondo in Manila on August 13, 2025. The hospital has opened one of its rooms to accommodate the remaining leptospirosis patients still receiving treatment following exposure during the recent storms. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The government’s zero balance billing program in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals “is proceeding well,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday after inspecting the system at the East Avenue Medical Center, where nearly 18,000 patients have been discharged without having to pay hospital bills.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/8/12/east-avenue-medical-center-probes-viral-patient-complaint-1529">East Avenue Medical Center probes viral patient complaint, vows better service</a></div><p>The zero balance billing is a government medical assistance program funded through the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), and budgetary allocations for DOH hospitals.</p><p>“I&#x27;m happy to be able to report that the zero billing program is proceeding well. I think we are succeeding in that,” Marcos said.</p><p>“So mabuti naman at malaking bagay yan… Ikalat natin, paalam natin sa lahat ng tao para hindi na sila nagdadalawang isip na magpatingin, magpagamot at magpagaling,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/8/18/marcos-checks-implementation-of-zero-balance-billing-program-in-tacloban-city-1518">Marcos checks implementation of zero balance billing program in Tacloban City</a></div><p>Marcos also thanked the medical personnel in the EAMC for their service.</p><p>“Alam naman natin hindi sila necessarily na sumusunod sa oras ng kanilang duty. Pag kinakailangan sila ay nandyan pa rin kahit on break na sila,” the President said.</p><p>“Ito ang kabayanihan na ating nakita noong COVID at tuloy-tuloy nakikita natin ang kabayanihan ng ating medical health workers,” he said.</p><p>“Isa na ako doon, I was one of the beneficiaries. Kung di sa inyo, wala na ako rito. Nakakain na ako ng COVID,” he added.</p><p>From January to July 2025, the EAMC has catered to 18,818 patients under the zero balance billing program, by shouldering their hospital bills that amounted to P1.18 billion, according to data from the DOH.</p><p>Of that amount, 31.43 percent or P545 million was covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cwXv4wtJaog?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>“I'm happy to be able to report that the zero billing program is proceeding well. I think we are succeeding in that,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said.</p>

“I'm happy to be able to report that the zero billing program is proceeding well. I think we are succeeding in that,” President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said.

'Ikalat natin': Marcos says 'zero billing' in DOH hospitals 'proceeding well'

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'Ikalat natin': Marcos says 'zero billing' in DOH hospitals 'proceeding well'

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 19, 2025 01:20 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 19, 2025 07:53 PM PHT

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