Healthcare is not a privilege but a fundamental right, and local government units (LGUs) play a crucial role in ensuring that quality healthcare reaches every Filipino, especially those in vulnerable and underserved communities.

 

To strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots level, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) continues to intensify efforts to bridge healthcare gaps by empowering LGUs through the Local Initiative in Governance and Social Protection (LINGAP) Program.

 

Launched in November 2025, LINGAP serves as the DILG’s umbrella initiative for social protection and Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) at the local level. The program is anchored on the “Leaving No One Behind” principle of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

Through LINGAP, the DILG is equipping LGUs with stronger capacities to implement social protection measures and health-related programs in support of Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.

 

As part of these efforts, the Department actively participates in technical working groups crafting strategies and action plans to address pressing health concerns such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), tuberculosis, and cancer.

 

Together with partner agencies, the DILG has also issued joint memorandum circulars promoting healthy learning institutions, safe public spaces, telemedicine services, and the retention of barangay health workers, among others.

 

The LINGAP Program supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to bring government services closer to the people, particularly the most vulnerable sectors.

 

Through LINGAP, the DILG reaffirms its commitment to helping build healthier, more inclusive, and more resilient communities where every Filipino, regardless of gender, status, or religion, has equitable access to quality healthcare and social protection services.