Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo urged poor families from Regions III, VI, VII,  XI and the National Capital Region (NCR) who need medicines to avail of the Libreng Gamot  Para sa Masa (Lingap).

Lingap is already implemented in selected hospitals in the said regions.  These are:  University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in the National Capital Region (NCR); Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga (Region III); Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City (Region VI); Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City (Region VII); Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City; and the Davao Regional Hospital (DRH) in Tagum City (Region XI).

Lingap is a project of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, providing P1Billion to fund medicine assistance for indigent Filipinos who cannot afford to buy medicines.

As of March 22, some 984 indigent Filipinos from the said regions have already availed of the free medicine program with a total disbursement of P8,259,756.15.

The implementation of Lingap is guided by Memorandum Circular No. 02 formulated by the Department to ensure an orderly and standard utilization of the P1B free medicine fund.

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said the program is truly a testament of great compassion for the poor.

“We are thankful to Pres. Duterte for providing the funds. It is a show of great compassion for the poor, and while it is true that more needs to be done to assist poor Filipinos gain better access to health and medical services, this is a very good initiative and will go a long way towards helping many Filipinos,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

Under the Lingap guidelines,  indigent Filipinos who are either confined in or receiving out-patient treatment from identified hospitals and who are in need of prescription medicines are qualified as beneficiaries. Priority, however, will be given to the following:

1. Families or individuals who are indigent, vulnerable, or disadvantaged;
2. Those in the informal sector and poor based on the DSWD Listahanan;
3. Those who are in crisis situations based on the assessment of social workers;
4. Government employees and contract of service workers working in the government; and
5. Beneficiaries of soldiers and police who were killed or wounded in the line of duty.

Those who want to avail of the program should provide a valid ID. If the patient has a representative, the representative should present a valid ID and a written authorization signed by the patient in favor of the representative.

Another important requirement is the doctor’s prescription which should have been issued within the last three (3) months. This should indicate the date and the name of the patient, and the document should be signed by the attending physician, with his/her license number and contact details.

Proof of indigency must also be presented, but documentary requirement showing proof is not limited to a Barangay Certificate or Certification issued by the medical social service.

Certified true copies must be certified by either the DSWD social worker assigned to the hospital; the office that issued the document; or the officer who assigned the document.

Sec. Taguiwalo said, “It is most heartbreaking to hear stories of impoverished Filipinos dying because they did not have the money to buy the medicine they needed to prolong their lives.  With Lingap sa Masa, we can help a large number of our kababayans get the medicine they need,” she said. ###