Guiconsulta gains national attention

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Pangasinan's bold initiative to promote universal primary health care through a local incentive program is capturing the interest of other local government units, with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte expressing her intent to adopt the same model to benefit her city's nearly three million residents.

Belmonte recently announced plans to enroll all Quezon City residents in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.'s (PhilHealth) Konsulta package, a move believed to have been inspired by Pangasinan's rapid strides in expanding health care access under the leadership of Gov. Ramon Guico III.

Launched in late 2024, Pangasinan's Government Unified Incentives for Medical Consultations, or Guiconsulta, grants a P300 cash incentive to individuals who enroll in the Konsulta program.

Since its inception, the program has enrolled over one million residents, an exponential rise from just 30,000 enrollees when Guico assumed office in July 2022.

"Although attempts were made to discredit the program during the last election, we remain firm in our belief that this is the right step toward becoming the healthiest province in the country," Guico told reporters on Thursday.

Under Konsulta, beneficiaries receive free outpatient services, including medical consultations, laboratory tests, health screenings, and essential medicines at PhilHealth-accredited facilities.

PhilHealth Regional Vice President Dennis Adre recognized Pangasinan's pioneering approach.

"This program was fully funded by the provincial government. PhilHealth provided no cash incentives to enrollees. The P300 per person covered meals and transportation during sign-up activities," Adre said.

In response to Quezon City's interest in replicating the model, Guico expressed both pride and a sense of vindication.

"I'm happy that they're on board," Guico said. "I've said from the start that Pangasinan pioneered this program. I was promoting it even last year. Sadly, during the campaign period, a lot of people were misled by false claims," he added.

Guico also addressed allegations that the program was misused or marred by corruption.

"They claimed I pocketed P1,400 per enrollee because the Konsulta package is supposedly worth P1,700. But PhilHealth doesn't give money directly to patients. The payments go to hospitals and rural health units," he clarified.

He added that at the time the program was being criticized, PhilHealth had not released even a single peso to the provincial government facilities.

The governor emphasized that PhilHealth reimbursements are based strictly on services rendered, such as consultations, diagnostics, and medication provided by health professionals.

"These funds go to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and LGUs to keep operations running and purchase equipment," Guico said.

"Even those who tried to bring this program down will benefit from it. Their families will receive free medicine, free diagnostics, and even free hospitalization," he added.

Guico called on critics to set politics aside, particularly when it comes to public health.

"You can play politics with any issue — but not health care," he said. "This is about saving lives. This is about ensuring every Pangasinense, no matter their background, has access to quality medical care."

Guico said the program continues to evolve to meet the needs of the people — and that it is here to stay.

"What we began in Pangasinan is now being recognized across the country," Guico said. "This proves that governance rooted in compassion and focused on health can save lives and inspire change."