By Leilanie G. Adriano
LAOAG CITY – More than 57,000 residents in Ilocos Norte have registered for the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), expanding access to primary healthcare services across the province.
PhilHealth Ilocos Norte public relations officer Alvin Luciano Ubasa confirmed this on Friday as the agency continues to reach out to schools and villages, urging members to register under the YAKAP to avail free outpatient consultations, laboratory tests, medicines and preventive health services under the Universal Health Care program.
“As of Oct. 23, 2026, the number of registered YAKAP beneficiaries in Ilocos Norte reached a total of 57,048,” Ubasa told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.
Of the total registered individuals, he said 30,060 YAKAP-registered members have availed their first patient encounter with accredited public health facilities.
Through the program, Ubasa said that more residents are encouraged to seek preventive healthcare and obtain early medical consultations, helping reduce the risk of illnesses becoming more serious and costly to treat.
Depending on eligibility and program coverage, services may include consultations with primary care providers, health screening and diagnostic tests and access to covered medicines.
These services are intended to make healthcare more accessible while helping patients manage medical expenses.
To date, PhilHealth Ilocos Norte has 33 accredited YAKAP clinics and 18 accredited Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) facilities.
Enrolled members can go to these accredited health facilities for free consultation, initial care and laboratory services.
Medicines prescribed by doctors are processed through the GAMOT system, where beneficiaries present a prescription or QR code at accredited pharmacies to claim their medications.
The program covers a wide range of diagnostic and preventive laboratory services, including complete blood count with platelet count, lipid profile tests (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides), fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, glycosylated hemoglobin, creatinine testing for kidney function, chest X-ray and electrocardiogram. For disease screening, beneficiaries may also undergo sputum microscopy, urinalysis, fecalysis, Pap smear and fecal occult blood test. (PNA)
