PhilHealth Leads New Partnership with ZFF to Strengthen Local Health Systems
News | by Krizzia Esperanza
The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) formalized a new partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on December 3, 2025, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that strengthens ZFF’s ongoing work in building local health leadership and improving primary care systems in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
PhilHealth President Dr. Edwin Mercado highlighted the significance of the partnership. “This collaboration with ZFF will help us close gaps in the system. By educating providers, empowering local governments, and leveraging data, we can better align supply and demand in primary care and ensure communities get the services they need,” he said.
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The MOU allows ZFF to work closely with PhilHealth’s Social Health Insurance Academy in co-developing and delivering training on social health insurance, supporting Provincial Health Boards and teams, and putting in place a joint monitoring and evaluation framework. These efforts will help improve registration to PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), first patient encounters, and the utilization of PhilHealth benefits—key areas aligned with ZFF’s mission to strengthen primary healthcare.
ZFF Chair Dr. Manuel Dayrit added, “This signing reflects our shared compassion and faith in serving communities. Even with limited resources, we can work together to transform primary health care. That transformation—the miracle we seek—is about comprehensive, connected, and continuous first-contact care that truly reaches those who need it.”
The signing marks another step in ZFF’s commitment to helping local governments build sustainable, community-centered health systems that ensure accessible and quality care for all.
