CEBU CITY – PhilHealth Regional Office (PRO-7) pushed for the implementation of the Catastrophic Care Access or “Z” benefit package in Central Visayas as an action item during the first-ever regional Z Benefit Summit on June 26, 2025, at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu with some 10 big hospitals in attendance.
“At the heart of every policy, every system, and every decision is a human life,” said Dr. Kier Tamparong, Head of PhilHealth Regional Office (PRO-7) Accreditation & Quality Assurance Section, setting the tone for a day of purpose as the PRO led the Corporation’s Z Summit.
“Z” Benefit Package is a high-tier coverage for catastrophic and life-threatening health barriers categorized as “Z” such as cancer, open heart surgery, end-stage kidney disease, prosthesis & implants, and major treatment for children, Tamparong shared.
The summit gathered Level 3 hospitals and select Level 2 facilities across the region to revisit, assess, and move forward with the implementation of the Z Benefit Package to ensure contracted health care institutions offer state-of-the-art treatment to improve survival rates for catastrophic diseases.
PhilHealth launched the Z Benefits in 2012 with the aim of providing comprehensive and quality care that meet current standards of practice for Filipinos affected by catastrophic illnesses, such as certain cancers and other severe, long-term conditions.
Gaps in Z Benefit access
PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Central Visayas Marjorie Cabrieto, in her welcome message emphasized the importance of active engagement during the summit to address gaps in Z Benefit access and strengthen partnership with health care facilities across the region.
“We want to encourage, we want to invite, and we want to pursue the contracting of more health facilities for Z Benefits. We are actively working to expand contracting of hospitals, especially having the first provider in Negros Oriental,” Cabrieto said.
The Z Summit invited Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC) being a possible contracted facility in the near future, along with other target facilities including Cebu Velez General Hospital, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital, Southwestern University Medical Center, VisayasMed Hospital, St. Anthony Mother & Child Hospital, Eversley Childs Sanitarium & General Hospital, and Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital. A second leg of the summit is also eyed for further engagement, Cabrieto added.
Among the highlights of the Z Summit was the presentation of on the ground experience from Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), the first Z Benefit-contracted hospital in Central Visayas and one of the pioneering providers in the country.
VSMMC Regional Heart Center’s Focal Person, Dr. Jun Maximo Lasco II, shared how in 2014, VSMMC initially had no dedicated cardiac operating room, no trained cardiac staff, and no post-op infrastructure—but pushed forward anyway to answer people's call for health needs, along with PhilHealth and the Department of Health’s guidance.
“This kind of project is never a singular effort. Someone had to say yes to care that saves lives. We started from zero—and now, we’ve changed lives. That’s the power of Z Benefit,” Dr. Lasco said, reflecting on their journey.
Today, VSMMC has successfully operated on 87 patients under the Z Benefit for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), with a 100% success rate and zero mortality. They have since established a cardiac rehabilitation unit, its Regional Heart Center, Lasco added.
The summit closed with the recognition of five contracted hospitals in the region--VSMMC, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu South Medical Center, University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed), and Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center, for leading the provision of care through the Z Benefit.
“The Z Benefit Summit was not just a meeting of minds, but a testimony of the spirit of collaboration. It was to ensure that catastrophic illness will no longer be a hindrance for Filipinos, because with PhilHealth, the last letter ‘Z’ now stands for Zero Barriers,” Dr. Kier Tamparong stated. (Photos: PhilHealth/Google Images)
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