 People lining up for services at a Malasakit Center at the Joni Villanueva General Hospital inBocaue | |
| Formation | February 2018; 7 years ago (2018-02) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Bong Go |
Region served | Philippines |
| Services | Government medical assistance subsidy processing |
Director | Varies by branch |
TheMalasakit Center refers to a chain of one-stop-shop centers for medical and financial assistance provided by various agencies of the Philippine government.
The Malasakit Center program was started by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, led byBong Go following a directive of PresidentRodrigo Duterte. The center is meant as a one-stop shop for government medical assistance for indigent Filipinos. The first Malasakit Center opened in February 2018.[1][2]
When Go was elected Senator in 2019, he continued to promote the Malasakit Center; authoring a bill in the Senate that would institutionalize the center.[3]
Go authored Senate Bill No. 1076 which was filed on September 26, 2019. WhileHouse of Representatives memberAngelina Tan ofQuezon wrote the counterpart bill, House Bill No. 5477 and filed it on December 3, 2019.[4]
President Duterte signed into law on December 3, 2019, the Malasakit Center Act, also known as Republic Act No. 11463.[5] As per law, the government is obliged to establish Malasakit Centers in all hospitals under theDepartment of Health and thePhilippine General Hospital. The legislation also authorizes thePhilippine National Police to set up of such facilities.[3]
Eligible indigent Filipinos can avail multiple subsidies from various government agencies in Malasakit Centers. Prior to the establishment of Malasakit Centers, indigents had to fill up multiple documents and go to separate government offices to lessen their medical expenses.[6]
The Malasakit Center processes the availing of subsidies from the following government agencies:[2]
As of May 2025, there are 167 Malasakit Centers across the Philippines, with 93 inLuzon, 30 in theVisayas and 44 inMindanao.[7]