Covid-19 was more than a worldwide health crisis. It was a stress test for every nation’s resilience. 

For the Philippines, the results were sobering. Hospitals overflowed, healthcare workers were stretched to exhaustion, and rural communities were rendered vulnerable and without access to doctors or medicines.

Yet the pandemic also provided us clarity. It revealed not just weaknesses but also opportunities—the urgent need for universal healthcare, digital innovation in telemedicine, stronger local pharmaceutical capacity, and better support for health professionals.

The challenge is daunting, but the lesson is clear: A healthier Philippines is possible, and it is the foundation for all other forms of national development.

Healthcare in the Philippines has long been unequal. In Metro Manila, patients may access world-class private hospitals. In the rural areas, families travel for hours just to see a doctor. According to the World Health Organization, the Philippines has only 3.7 doctors per 10,000 people—far below the recommended 10.

Meanwhile, thousands of nurses and doctors continue to leave home for higher-paying jobs abroad. Over 300,000 Filipino nurses work overseas, creating a paradox: Our nation is famous for exporting healthcare workers, yet it struggles to provide enough care for its own citizens.

Public health spending remains low at just 5.6% of GDP—far below global benchmarks. PhilHealth, while essential, struggles with limited coverage and sustainability issues. For too many Filipinos, serious illness still means financial catastrophe.

But despite the challenges, there are powerful opportunities for the Philippines. The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, passed in 2019, provides a blueprint for making healthcare more inclusive. If fully implemented, it can ensure that every Filipino—whether in Quezon City or in Sulu—has access to essential services without falling into poverty.

The Philippines also has an asset that many other countries envy: its healthcare workers, who are known worldwide for their skill, compassion, and resilience. If the conditions for them to thrive at home can be created, they can be the backbone of a revitalized health system.

What should be done 

1. Fully fund universal healthcare

The UHC Act must move from paper to practice. This means greater budget allocations, stronger PhilHealth coverage, and investments in rural clinics and community health centers.

2. Invest in telemedicine and digital health

Covid-19 accelerated the adoption of telemedicine. With our archipelagic geography, digital platforms can connect doctors in cities to patients in far-flung islands. Mobile apps, AI diagnostics, and e-pharmacies can expand access dramatically.

3. Support and retain health workers

Better pay, fair working conditions, and career development must be offered to keep nurses and doctors at home. Incentives such as rural service scholarships, housing benefits, and hazard pay can make local service more attractive.

4. Strengthen local pharmaceutical capacity

Most of the medicines here are imported, making Filipinos vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Encouraging local production of generics, vaccines, and essential drugs will lower costs and ensure supply.

5. Build resilience against future crises

The next pandemic or climate-related health emergency is not a matter of if but when. Stockpiling essential medicines, investing in disease surveillance, and upgrading hospitals are critical for preparedness.

Lessons from abroad

Thailand offers an inspiring example. Despite its limited resources, it built one of Asia’s most admired universal healthcare systems, dramatically reducing inequality in health outcomes.

Costa Rica, a small, middle-income country, achieved universal coverage through strong public investment, proving that good health systems are not the monopoly of the rich.

Closer to home is Vietnam, which rapidly expanded health insurance and local pharmaceutical capacity, protecting both its people and its economy. 

The Philippines can learn from these models—and adapt them to our unique needs.

Why healthcare matters

Healthcare is not just a social service. It is an economic driver and a pillar of national resilience. Healthy workers are more productive. Healthy children learn better in school. Healthy families are less vulnerable to falling into poverty.

Investments in health pay dividends across generations. Every peso spent on preventive care saves multiples in hospital costs later. Every nurse retained at home strengthens the system for millions of patients. Every local medicine factory built reduces dependence on foreign suppliers.

A strong health system is also a foundation of sovereignty. A nation that cannot care for its own citizens is fragile. A nation that ensures health for all is strong.

Covid-19 reminded the Philippines of its fragility, as well as its strength. Filipino healthcare workers rose heroically to the occasion, often at great personal risk. Communities organized to care for each other. Innovation in telemedicine flourished.

Now, we must not waste the lessons of the pandemic. Imagine a Philippines where every barangay has a functional health clinic, where telemedicine connects islands, where essential medicines are affordable, and where nurses no longer have to leave their families behind just to earn a decent living.

Health is hope. Health is dignity. Health is nation-building. A healthier Philippines will be a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Philippines.

The time to build it is now.

Dr. Rafael R. Castillo is a cardiologist, educator, and public health advocate. He was president of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and the Asian Pacific Society of Hypertension, and was a longtime health columnist of the Inquirer. He has over 45 awards to his name, including the PHA Lifetime Achievement Award, and continues to champion preventive cardiology and public health reforms here and abroad.