Thousands of Caraganons benefit from PhilHealth’s YAKAP, GAMOT
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — A total of 824,913 members and dependents across the Caraga region have already availed themselves of healthcare services under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Caraga’s YAKAP or “Yaman ng Kalusugan Program,” as of April 30, 2026.
This reflects the Marcos administration’s continuing directive to strengthen preventive, accessible, and community-based healthcare services under the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.
According to Jocelyn E. Cañete, chief of the Field Operations Division of PhilHealth Caraga, in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency, (PIA) Caraga, Surigao del Sur recorded the highest number of beneficiaries who availed themselves of services with 387,829, followed by Agusan del Sur with 297,397; Agusan del Norte with 124,581; Surigao del Norte with 123,875; Butuan City with 44,515; and the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) with 19,532.
Cañete also reported that PhilHealth Caraga has already registered 885,282 members and dependents under the YAKAP program across the region in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to expand healthcare coverage and bring government health services closer to communities.
Among the registered members and dependents, Surigao del Sur posted the highest number with 315,718, followed by Agusan del Sur with 250,290; Surigao del Norte with 130,424; Butuan City with 52,828; Dinagat Islands with 22,665; and Agusan del Norte with 13,357.
To further expand healthcare accessibility, PhilHealth Caraga accredited 134 YAKAP clinics across the region, supporting the national government’s push to ensure healthcare services reach even remote and underserved areas.
These include 38 clinics in Surigao del Norte, 32 in Surigao del Sur, 24 in Agusan del Sur, 20 in Agusan del Norte, 13 in Butuan City, and seven in Dinagat Islands.
Cañete also said that there are already 58 fully validated GAMOT (Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment) providers in Caraga, aligned with the administration’s priority of ensuring affordable access to essential medicines and outpatient healthcare services for Filipinos.
The validated GAMOT providers include 15 in Agusan del Sur; 12 each in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur; nine in Butuan City; and five each in Agusan del Norte and Dinagat Islands.
PhilHealth Caraga continues to intensify the implementation of the YAKAP and GAMOT programs through healthcare caravans, on-site registration, member empanelment, free medicine distribution, and strengthened partnerships with local government units and healthcare facilities across the region in support of the administration’s whole-of-government approach in delivering public health services.
In Agusan del Norte, the Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO)-Butuan City conducted the “YAKAP para sa Manggagawa” activity at SM City Butuan in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other stakeholders, supporting President Marcos Jr.’s directive to improve healthcare access and social protection for workers and their families.
In Agusan del Sur, PhilHealth conducted YAKAP orientations and caravans in Bunawan town and launched the GAMOT Program in Loreto town during the 61st Araw ng Loreto and 21st Umajam Festival celebration as part of the continuing implementation of Universal Health Care at the grassroots level.
Also, the agency conducted the YAKAP + GAMOT Fun Run in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao City to further strengthen public awareness, preventive healthcare, and wellness promotion among communities.
Meanwhile, in Surigao del Sur, PhilHealth joined the Barangayanihan Program and conducted YAKAP service caravans in the towns of Lingig, Barobo, and Bayabas, where residents availed registration services, consultations, first patient encounters, and free medicine dispensing.
PhilHealth Caraga also continues to strengthen partnerships with local government units and healthcare providers in the Province of Dinagat Islands to ensure wider access to consultations, medicines, and social health insurance benefits for island communities.
Among the beneficiaries was Josie, a mother of four whose husband works as a tricycle driver, who expressed gratitude for YAKAP + GAMOT after receiving free consultation and medicines from one of the accredited clinics in Butuan City. She said the assistance helped ease their family’s financial burden, especially amid rising daily expenses.
Through these initiatives, PhilHealth Caraga reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the healthcare agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. by bringing healthcare services closer to communities and promoting accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all Filipinos. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
