YAKAP REGISTRATION FOR WORKERS. Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino signs Labor Advisory No. 10, series of 2026, urging employers to ensure their workers’ registration under PhilHealth’s YAKAP. (Photo by Alikaine Creo)
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis N. Tolentino instructed all private sector employers to support and facilitate the registration of their workers under the PhilHealth YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) as he signed Labor Advisory No. 10, s. 2026, recently.
PhilHealth YAKAP serves as a national primary care benefit package that contributes comprehensive outpatient services to all PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to expand accessible and affordable healthcare for every Filipino. This program aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and prevent hospitalization through early detection of chronic conditions.
Pursuant to Article 5 of the Labor Code of the Philippines and Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, DOLE instructed all private-sector employers, including those engaged in the informal economy, to assist their employees in applying for the program.
Under the new guidelines, Secretary Tolentino urged employers to coordinate with PhilHealth, facilitate on-site registration activities in the workplace, and assist workers with their online registration through the eGov app and the PhilHealth Member Portal.
In addition, they are recommended to promote workers’ access to first-contact consultations with accredited YAKAP providers by granting excused absences for employees who will enroll at PhilHealth offices or avail consultation services at YAKAP clinics. In return, employees are advised to give their employers prior notice when needed.
The beneficiaries of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Programs (DILP) and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program will also receive information during DOLE regional office information campaigns to support their registration and participation in the program.
In an earlier event, more than 41,000 workers across the Ilocos Region enrolled in PhilHealth’s YAKAP program through onsite registration. The enrollment grants beneficiaries immediate access to free outpatient consultations, laboratory tests, essential medicines, and preventive health services.
Through this initiative, DOLE actively promotes healthcare awareness among workers and communities to streamline access to essential services, boost public knowledge of primary healthcare, and ensure that more individuals understand their rights and benefits under existing programs.
More announcements, updates, and other information may be viewed at www.dole.gov.ph and at DOLE’s official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/laborandemploymentph).
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