Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

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/1757734815509doh.png" 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 style="text-align:left">MANILA —&quot;Just for today,&quot; the outpatient wings in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals nationwide are open and will offer free services on a Saturday, September 13, to mark President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 68th birthday.</p><div style="text-align:left"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/13/-happy-birthday-bonget-imee-greets-bongbong-following-alleged-rift-1039">&#x27;Happy birthday, Bonget!&#x27;: Imee greets Bongbong following alleged rift</a></div><p style="text-align:left">&quot;Ngayon pong September 13, 2025 dahil ito ang birthday ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—laging sarado [ang OPD] kapag Sabado, kasi di nagbubukas ng outpatient kapag Sabado—pero ang utos ng Pangulo, just for today Saturday, bukas po ang mga outpatient department ng ating mga DOH hospitals nationwide kung saan libre ang consultation,&quot; DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told ABS-CBN News.</p><div style="text-align:left"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/12/during-marcos-birthday-p20-kg-rice-available-to-all-filipinos-in-kadiwa-stores-da-1852">During Marcos&#x27; birthday, P20/kg rice available to all Filipinos in Kadiwa stores: DA</a></div><p>These include medical treatments, laboratory tests, and procedures that do not require an overnight hospital admission.</p><div><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=315&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F728157623519106%2F%3Fv&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong>ZERO BALANCE BILLING</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Domingo also explained that the government&#x27;s zero balance billing program is sustainable.</p><p>Marcos Jr. earlier said the zero billing program should expand more, noting it was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/8/19/-i-think-we-are-succeeding-marcos-says-zero-billing-in-doh-hospitals-proceeding-well-1320" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“proceeding well” </a>after his inspection of the East Avenue Medical Center last month, where nearly 18,000 patients had been discharged without paying hospital bills.</p><p>&quot;Ang ating budget na ginagamit dito sa zero billing, &#x27;yan po &#x27;yung tinatawag na maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) ng ating mga DOH hospitals. Kasi po ang pera kapag nababayaran naman sa DOH, &#x27;yung sinisingil &#x27;yun yung balance bill, hindi na kailangan magbayad ng pasyente ng balance bill kung doon pa lang sa ospital nasasagot na,&quot; he said.</p><p>He stressed the DOH is proposing a 15 percent increase in the MOOE of hospitals under the 2026 national budget.</p><p>&quot;Marami pong mga legislators, mga congressman, mga senador ang nagtatanong kung may pagkakataon na taasan pa ang MOOE ng hospitals, magkano kaya? Naririnig naman po namin, nagsalita na rin ang Pangulo, na kung &#x27;di nagagamit ang budget sa flood control o iba pang projects ay pwedeng ibigay sa kalusugan at edukasyon,&quot; Domingo stressed.</p><p>Domingo also defended DOH’s new policy<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/9/11/road-traffic-violators-will-be-disqualified-in-hospital-zero-balance-billing-doh-1908"> disqualifying road traffic violators </a>from the zero balance billing program.</p><p>He said failure to wear proper helmets orseat belt, or texting while driving, are forms of &quot;contributory negligence&quot; that leads to road crashes.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><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/X_eIsdi7A1I?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Outpatient services in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals nationwide are free on Saturday, September 13, to mark President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 68th birthday.</p>

Outpatient services in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals nationwide are free on Saturday, September 13, to mark President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 68th birthday.

'Just for today': DOH outpatient services open, free on Marcos' birthday

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'Just for today': DOH outpatient services open, free on Marcos' birthday

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 13, 2025 12:00 PM PHT

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Updated September 13, 2025 03:34 PM PHT

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Department of Health

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