Sectors unite to bridge gaps in health supply chain to realize UHC

THE promise of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law remains clear: equitable access to quality health services and essential medicines for all Filipinos. Yet, gaps in financing, procurement and data systems continue to slow its full rollout.In response, government agencies, the private sector, civil society and global partners convened in Makati for a multisectoral dialogue hosted by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and UHC Watch at the Asian Institute of Management.Representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), PhilHealth, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), local government units (LGUs), and international institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Health Organization, joined the discussions.PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla emphasized that medicine access “is not only a health issue, it is a systems issue,” highlighting the need for strong financing, supply chains and regulatory systems to support UHC.Two key studies anchored the dialogue: ADB-ThinkWell’s “Strengthening the Medicine Access Pathway” and PHAP’s “Pathways to Inclusive Access.”Both underlined the importance of policy coherence, evidence-based decision-making and strategic public-private collaboration to strengthen UHC implementation.System reforms to unlock accessADB-ThinkWell’s analysis identified regulatory bottlenecks, fragmented procurement and supply chain vulnerabilities as barriers to medicine access.It recommended strengthening governance, modernizing FDA processes and building coordinated institutional mechanisms to overcome fragmentation. Meanwhile, PHAP’s findings highlighted the need to scale health budgets, use real-time data in procurement and apply real-world evidence to health technology assessments to accelerate patient access.Government officials echoed these priorities. DBM Undersecretary Rolando Toledo cited infrastructure investment and procurement reform as key to achieving UHC, particularly through the new Government Procurement Act (Republic Act 1209). The landmark law introduces digital platforms such as the eMarketplace, promotes pooled procurement and shifts government purchasing from simply selecting the lowest bid to awarding the most advantageous and responsive offer — one that values quality, innovation and transparency.Sofia Yanto-Abad of the Government Procurement Policy Board explained that the reform “is not about bureaucracy, but about building trust and ensuring every procurement decision leads to better health outcomes.”DOH’s Fides Buenafe shared updates on strengthening supply chain systems and expanding the Electronic Logistics Management Information System or eLMIS down to local facilities by 2026.PhilHealth’s Alfred De Dios presented the Yakap initiative, aimed at shifting the system toward preventive, primary care. DTI Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco reinforced that the framework for effective supply chain management exists and that the priority now is implementation and fast collaboration across sectors.The dialogue also featured breakout discussions on three priority areas: (1) financing and strategic purchasing, (2) procurement and supply chain efficiency, and (3) data-driven governance and regulatory acceleration.The financing group called for mainstreaming local investment plans for health, improving coordination between DOH and LGUs on devolution, and allowing greater flexibility in funding utilization.The procurement group pushed for the adoption of the new Government Procurement Act’s “Most Economically Advantageous and Responsive Bid” framework, along with pooled procurement and multi-year contracting. Meanwhile, the data governance group urged stronger interoperability between DOH, PhilHealth and DICT databases, centralized data standards and capacity building across government institutions to support evidence-based decision-making.Representatives from local governments such as Baguio, Makati and Bataan also shared their experiences in implementing UHC locally, underscoring the importance of leadership, accountability and adaptive systems that respond to community-level needs. Their stories reflected how policy coherence, real-time data and collaboration with national agencies can directly improve access to essential medicines and vaccines.Call to invest more, procure better and decide smarterClosing the dialogue, PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla stressed that delivering UHC would require evidence-based policymaking, coordination and accountability.He emphasized three critical priorities: strengthening health financing and strategic purchasing, improving procurement and supply chain systems, and harnessing data for informed health care decisions.The call to action that emerged from the sessions urged stakeholders to “invest more” by aligning health investments at both national and local levels, “procure better” through the institutionalization of pooled procurement and strategic purchasing, and “decide smarter” by leveraging interoperable data systems for transparency and performance tracking.“Let us carry forward this call to action, to invest more, procure better and decide smarter,” Loreann Villanueva, PHAP Supply Chain Workstream Committee chair, said, adding, “Only then can we build a future where every Filipino has reliable access to the medicines, vaccines and services needed to live healthy, productive lives.”