Medicines, hospitalization, emergencies — all of these cost money. Even with assistance from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) or the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), many Pinoys struggle to cope with medical expenses.
Fortunately, there’s another government initiative that provides medical aid to Filipinos: Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit (LinGaP sa MaSa). Implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), this program offers different types of medical assistance to those who need it the most.
What is LinGAP sa MaSa?
The LinGap sa MaSa program was established by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who set aside PHP 1 billion from the President’s Office’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund to provide healthcare for the poor.
The DSWD is the government agency in charge of managing and distributing this fund, through its Central Office as well as Field Offices, which are located all over the Philippines.
Target Beneficiaries
The program is available to any Filipino citizen who is a patient at or visiting certain hospitals (see list below). However, priority is given to persons who:
- Belong to the poor, vulnerable, or marginalized sectors;
- Are classified as low-income and working in the informal economy based on DSWD’s Listahanan;
- Are experiencing a crisis, based on assessment by social workers;
- Are government employees, including permanent and temporary workers; and
- Are relatives of soldiers or policemen who have died or have been injured on the job.
Required Documents
To avail of the program, the patient or his/her representative must submit the following documents to the DSWD-assigned social worker at the hospital:
- Any valid ID of the patient;
- Valid ID of the representative and authorization letter signed by the patient (for patients with representatives);
- Prescription for the last three (3) months for all medications, prostheses, medical devices, medical supplies, implants, laboratory procedure, chemotherapy, and dialysis — duly signed by the doctor, along with the doctor’s license number and contact details; and
- Barangay Certificate of Indigency, certificate from the hospital’s medical social service, or other documents indicating financial hardship.
Benefits of the Program
The program offers a maximum financial assistance of PHP 75,000 per case per year. However, the exact amount would still depend on the evaluation made by social workers.
In any case, the program’s benefits include financial assistance for:
- Laboratory tests, surgical operations, and other hospitalization costs;
- Prostheses and medicines required for maintenance;
Medical supplies, implants, chemotherapy, and dialysis; - Traveling expenditures (for those receiving treatment outside of their province); and/or
- Salary loans for government employees facing medical emergencies.
Program Process
Here is an overview on how to apply for the program and avail of its benefits/services:
- Gather all the essential documents: medical certificate from the attending physician, medical abstract and treatment plan, etc.
- You (or your representative) shall bring the prescription to the hospital’s pharmacy. The pharmacy will provide a quotation for the required medicines.
- Submit the quotation along with other documents to the DSWD Social Worker assigned at the hospital. After assessing your application, he/she will give a LinGaP sa MaSa Guarantee Letter (GL) which states the required medicines/treatment and its cost.
- Submit the GL to the pharmacy. The pharmacy will give the required medicines/treatment and stamp “ISSUED” on the GL.
- On the 15th and/or the last day of each month, the hospital will submit a Statement of Account to the Program Focal Person at the DSWD Field Office, together with the GLs and supporting documents. The field office will facilitate the processing of payment for all GLs.
List of Hospitals
As cited earlier, LinGap sa MaSa is implemented in select hospitals only. As of 2018, the program is carried out in 34 hospitals in Regions III, VI, VII, XI, and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Here is a list of hospitals where you can avail of the program:
National Capital Region (NCR)
- Amang Rodriguez Memorial Center
- Caloocan City Medical Center
- Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital
- Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center
- Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
- Las Piñas General Hospital
- Lung Center of the Philippines
- Ospital ng Maynila
- Ospital ng Muntinlupa
- Ospital ng Sampaloc
- Ospital ng Sta. Ana
- Philippine Children’s Medical Center
- Philippine Orthopedic Center
- Reseach Institute for Tropical Medicine
- UP – Philippine General Hospital
Region III
- Bataan General Hospital
- Bulacan Medical Hospital
- James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital
- Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital
- President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital
- Tarlac Provincial Hospital
Western Visayas
- Western Visayas Medical Center
Central Visayas
- Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital
- Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital
- Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital
- St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital
- Talisay District Hospital
- Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
Mindanao
- Davao Regional Hospital
- Southern Philippines Medical Center
Video: Launching of LinGaP sa MaSa Program in San Jose Del Monte City
In 2019, Congresswoman Florida Robles, together with the DSWD and the City Mayor, launched the LinGaP sa MaSa program in San Jose Del Monte City. Check out this video shared through her Facebook page to see the highlights of the event:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Meanwhile, here are some frequently asked questions about the program:
1. What is the LinGAP sa MaSa program?
The Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit or simply “LinGaP sa MaSa” program was established by former President Rodrigo Duterte. The program set aside PHP 1 billion in funds to help provide healthcare for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized sectors.
2. Who are the target beneficiaries?
Although the program is open to all Filipinos who are patients in certain hospitals, priority is given to those who: belong to the poor, vulnerable, or marginalized; are classified as low-income based on Listahanan; are experiencing a crisis, as assessed by social workers; are government employees; and are relatives of soldiers or policemen who have died or have been injured on the job.
3. What are the required documents?
To avail of the program, the patient or his/her representative must prepare: patient’s valid ID; valid ID of representative and authorization letter (for those with representatives); prescriptions for the last three months for all medications, supplies, etc.; document of financial hardship such as Certificate of Indigency.
4. What are the benefits of the program?
The program’s benefits include financial aid for lab tests, operations, hospitalization costs, prosthes, medicines, medical supplies, chemotherapy, dialysis, travel expenses (if receiving treatment outside the province), and salary loans (for government employees).
5. How can I learn more about the program?
You can learn more about the program by going to the nearest DSWD office in your area.
Contact Information: DSWD Central Office
If you would like to know more about LinGaP sa MaSa and you are based in the NCR, you can get in touch with the DSWD Central office through the following contact details:
Address: Batasang Pambansa Complex, Constitution Hills, Quezon City, Philippines, 1126
Telephone: (02) 8931 8101 to 07
Website: https://www.dswd.gov.ph/
Google Map:
Final Thoughts
Thanks to DSWD’s LinGaP sa Masa program, patients from low-income households can expect financial assistance, so that they can receive much-needed medicines, treatments, and other health care.
Aside from providing medical assistance, the DSWD is also concerned about persons with disabilities. Read this article to know more about the rights and privileges of PWDs.