Scrap guarantee letters in MAIFIP, DOH urgedSen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday urged the DOH to scrap guarantee letters in the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MAIFIP program through its own guidelines, not through provisions in the 2026 budget. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday urged the DOH to scrap guarantee letters in the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MAIFIP program through its own guidelines, not through provisions in the 2026 budget. Gatchalian said patients should not have to secure guarantee letters from lawmakers to qualify for medical aid. “Guarantee letters are part of the DOH’s process (and no law created the system). Watchdog groups have argued that guarantee letters allow politicians to claim credit for aid funded by taxpayers’ money.

Source: Philippine Star December 31, 2025 19:01 UTC