EMBO residents lose healthcare subsidy from Makati City gov’t

MANILA, Philippines – Residents of the Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) are no longer eligible for the yellow card benefits, the city-subsidized healthcare program of the Makati City government starting Monday, January 1.

This follows a 2022 Supreme Court decision placing Bonifacio Global City and the EMBO barangays under Taguig’s jurisdiction.

The Makati City government said its employees who are residents of the concerned barangays will retain their yellow card benefits. 

The city temporarily offered EMBO residents access to free consultations at Makati-owned health centers, as Taguig City has yet to establish its facilities in the area.

In September, Makati proposed a credit line for Taguig to ensure uninterrupted healthcare access of EMBO residents to health centers and the city-run Ospital ng Makati (OsMak).

Taguig, however, said that Makati’s proposal was banking on “the false premise that they own the land and the health centers built thereon.” It also argued that this went against the directive of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to exclude ownership issues in the transition process. 

The yellow card gave Makati residents access to free medicines, vitamins, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical products. 

Yellow card holders are also entitled to free hospitalization in OsMak for bills amounting to P5,000 or less. For bills exceeding P5,000, yellow card holders are only required to pay P500.

Patients can also be referred to partner facilities like the Makati Medical Center and Makati Life Medical Center, allowing them to access specialized medical and diagnostic services that might not be offered at OsMak. 

Yellow cardholders and registered dependents, city government workers, and other qualified beneficiaries can also enjoy health services from 26 health centers located in the Makati barangays, satellite laboratories, and three birthing facilities.

To be a yellow card holder, one has to be a registered Makati voter.

In August 2023, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared that the EMBO barangays are under Taguig. Comelec Taguig facilitated the 2023 barangay elections in the area. – Rappler.com