DOLE, PhilHealth launch ‘YAKAP’ Program to boost workers’ health

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have introduced the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) in Laguna to bring preventive health care closer to Filipino workers.

Launched Tuesday at Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Inc., the program was led by DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesmaand PhilHealth Acting President and CEO Edwin Mercado.

With the tagline “Malayo ka sa Sakit,” YAKAP encourages employees to undergo regular health checkups even without symptoms, in support of the government’s Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda.

“This is part of our settings-based registration approach, where PhilHealth brings services directly to workplaces, schools, and communities,” Mercado said, noting that the initiative aims to speed up access, expand coverage, and improve quality of care.

Laguesma, for his part, stressed that health is the cornerstone of a productive workforce. “Workers devote a third of their lives to their jobs, yet many still lack sufficient access to health services,” he said.

Through YAKAP, DOLE and PhilHealth vowed to strengthen preventive health care and ensure workers get the medical support they need.