Palace touts expanded PhilHealth benefits, NCR wage hike, fee-free digital transfers

Malacañang on Tuesday highlighted several government measures aimed at easing the financial burden of Filipinos, including expanded PhilHealth benefits for leptospirosis patients, a new wage increase for workers in Metro Manila, and lower costs for digital banking transactions.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will expand its benefit package for moderate to severe leptospirosis cases beginning July 15, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to improve access to healthcare.

Under the enhanced package, qualified patients may receive up to P63,000 for hospital care, P170,000 for hemodialysis, and P230,000 for peritoneal dialysis.

Patients requiring a combination of hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation, and pulmonary rehabilitation may receive benefits of up to P411,000.

PhilHealth will also provide free consultations through its Konsulta providers, where eligible patients may be prescribed doxycycline for leptospirosis prevention, as advised by a healthcare provider. In addition, members may access up to P20,000 annually under the outpatient drug benefit package for medicines.

NCR wage hike

Castro also announced that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has approved an P85 daily wage increase for minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region.

The increase will be implemented in two phases: P60 beginning July 19, 2026, and the remaining P25 in January 2027.

According to the Palace, more than 1.1 million minimum wage workers in Metro Manila are expected to benefit from the increase.

Lower digital banking costs

The Palace also welcomed moves to make digital transactions more affordable after the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) announced it would waive fees for InstaPay and PESONet fund transfers beginning July 1.

Castro noted that Land Bank of the Philippines had earlier removed convenience fees for online government payments made through QRPH until Dec. 31, 2026, saying the initiatives support the administration’s push for more accessible and affordable digital financial services. —RF, GMA News