On the occasion of the global celebration of Universal Health Coverage Day, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines to help accelerate the implementation of access to medicines under a Universal Health Care framework.
“Health is a priority agenda for Baguio City. It is one of our primordial concerns. This MOU signing with PHAP will take us one step closer to realizing better health for all people living in the city. As the pilot city for this novel partnership, we are very committed to it. Every time we see innovation, we want to be pioneering it,” Mayor Magalong said during the MOA signing held at the Baguio Convention Center.
“We recognize that Baguio City is a leading innovation center in the country. The goal of this pilot program is to demonstrate that quality health care can be achieved through early screening and prevention, and access to innovative medicines enabled by public-private partnerships.
The MOU will set off a baseline study on the health needs of Baguio City residents, as well as commence discussions on the details of the project which has two components. The first component is the consolidation of PHAP Members’ health and medicine access programs. The second component, meanwhile, is composed of ecosystem building for a stronger healthcare system in the city.