đ·: Coalition for People’s Right to Health / FB
The Coalition for Peopleâs Right to Health (CPRH) has issued a forceful appeal to Congress, urging swift passage of two historic measures: a guaranteed 5% allocation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for public health spending and a full VAT exemption on essential medicines and nutritional foods.
CPRH described the proposals as a âmoral imperativeâ to correct decades of chronic underfunding and inequity in the health system.
Public health expenditure currently stands at just 1.5% of GDP, among the lowest in Southeast Asia, leaving Filipino households to shoulder â±615.16 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2024âa staggering 42.7% of total health spending.
5% GDP Health Budget
The coalition emphasized that a 5% allocationâequivalent to â±1.4 trillion based on 2025 GDP figuresâwould transform the countryâs health infrastructure, expand the workforce, and guarantee free, comprehensive care in public facilities.
CPRH argued that funds could be responsibly sourced by redirecting non-productive expenditures such as â±2.1 trillion in debt servicing, confidential funds, and pork barrel allocations, alongside progressive taxation measures like a wealth tax.
VAT-Free Essential MedicinesÂ
Currently, only medicines for seven non-communicable diseases are VAT-exempt, covering just 2,263 productsâa mere 5% of the 50,000 medicines procured by government as of 2019.
Everyday essentials such as paracetamol, antibiotics, vitamins, and antacids remain taxed at 12%.
CPRH condemned this as âa direct assault on the right to life,â noting that medicine prices in the Philippines are 22 to 184 times higher than international reference prices.
The coalition demands that VAT exemption be expanded to all drugs and nutritional products listed in the Philippine National Formulary, ensuring affordability and universal access.
Call to ActionÂ
âThese bills form the backbone of a free, comprehensive, and progressive national health agenda,â CPRH declared, stressing that increased public funding and VAT exemption would reduce poverty, boost productivity, and uphold the constitutional right to health.
The measures are championed by ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio L. Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise M. Co.
CPRH, representing health workers, patients, academe, faith-based groups, and civil society, vowed to mobilize public support until the bills are passed.
âHealth is a right, not a privilege. The people cannot wait any longer, the coalition said. # (RRN)
