Philippines: Build Universal Health Care Program (Subprogram 2)

OBJECTIVE

The principal objective of the Program is to improve the equitable access to quality health services for all Filipinos that are also responsive to gender-specific health concerns and health impacts of climate change. The proposed policy-based loan, co-financed with Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility (CRF or the Facility), will provide financing for the efforts of the Government of the Philippines to strengthen public health systems in the post-pandemic era and enhance the country’s preparedness and responsiveness to unanticipated health crises.

DESCRIPTION

The Program aims to support the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act of the Philippines through a series of reforms that will broaden the coverage of healthcare services for the population and increase financing for UHC to strengthen the preparation, prevention, and response to future pandemics. It will also help expand primary healthcare facilities across the country and enhance the quantity and quality of second and third-tier health institutions and the capacity of healthcare workers. Furthermore, the Program will support the nationwide implementation of interoperability of health information systems, monitoring of UHC outputs and outcomes, and performance incentives for UHC-related activities of the local government units.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

The Program’s environmental and social risks and impacts have been assessed in accordance with the provisions of ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS, 2009) applicable to policy-based lending, as this Loan is cofinanced with ADB as the lead cofinancier. AIIB’s ESP was designed to apply to investment projects and has no provisions for its application to policy-based lending operations. Therefore, as permitted by a decision of the Board of Directors and pursuant to AIIB’s agreement with ADB, the provisions of ADB’s SPS applicable to policy-based lending will apply to this operation in lieu of the ESP. This will provide for a harmonized approach to addressing the environmental and social risks and impacts of the Program.

Based on the environmental and social assessments carried out according to the ADB’s requirements, no adverse impacts have been identified concerning involuntary resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, or the environment.

ADB has categorized the Program as Category C for involuntary resettlement, Indigenous Peoples, and environment.

The Program is classified as gender equity theme, as the Program outcome focuses on attaining equitable access to gender-responsive health services. Further, the output indicators are also gender-focused, which include maternal mortality, births attended by skilled personnel, set up of women and child protection units at DoH hospitals, and Human Resource for Health density. The Program will thus improve women’s access to healthcare and promotion services through a series of interventions that will increase service offer and reduce fragmentation.