Solon wants informal economy workers granted health insurance

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has asked his colleagues in the House to approve a measure that would grant health insurance to workers in the informal economy, to ensure that they will have a financial safety net during unanticipated health crises.

In a statement on Tuesday, Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas said he has filed House Bill (HB) No. 11028 or the proposed Informal Workers Health Benefits and Insurance Act, which seeks to address the health insurance coverage needs of informal sector workers like public utility drivers, delivery riders, street vendors, and other frontline workers.

“Madaming Pilipino ang pinipiling pumasok sa informal sector tulad ng mga tsuper, delivery riders, at food vendors. Pero sa ngayon, kulang ang mga benepisyo at proteksyon na natatangap nila mula sa pamahalaan,” Vargas said.

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(Many Filipinos choose to work in the informal sector like public utility drivers, delivery riders, and food vendors. But as of now, the benefits and protection they receive from the government are not enough.)

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“Layunin ng panukalang ito na pangalagaan din ang kanilang kapakanan,” he added.

(This proposal’s goal is to take care of their welfare.)

READ: Yamsuan: Pass bill on maternity benefits for informal women workers

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If enacted, HB No. 11028 will establish the Informal Workers Health Insurance Program, which will be administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and local government units (LGUs).

PhilHealth’s role would be to establish simplified and free registration procedures for informal workers, while LGUs will help with the application process.

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The bill will cover transport workers, platform-based riders, vendors, and self-employed individuals, and covered workers will be entitled to the following benefits:

• Preventive and primary-care services
• Emergency and hospital care
• Medicines, laboratory, and diagnostic services
• Occupational injury and illness care
• Rehabilitation and palliative care
• Maternal, reproductive, dental, and oral-health services
• Mental health and psychosocial services

Vargas said that he filed the bill as several studies, like one from IBON Foundation, estimate that the informal sector accounts for roughly 42 percent of the country’s workforce, or 20.6 million Filipinos.

This 42 percent, Vargas said, would struggle financially as irregular earnings and the lack of an employer to handle contributions would prevent informal sector workers from addressing sudden medical events.

“Anumang panahon, maaaring mawalan ng kita o magkasakit ang mga informal workers. Tungkulin ng pamahalaan na siguraduhing protektado pa rin sila sa medical emergencies sa mga ganitong pagkakataon,” Vargas said.

(At any moment, informal workers can suddenly lose income and become sick. It is the goal of the government to ensure that they are protected from medical emergencies in these circumstances.

“Our informal workers are the backbone of our daily economy. Sa pagbibigay sa kanila ng maaasahang health protection, tinitiyak natin na ang kanilang sipag at sakripisyo ay nasusuklian ng seguridad at dangal na nararapat para sa kanila,” he added.

(Our informal workers are the backbone of our daily economy. In giving them enough health protection, we ensure that their hard work and sacrifices are returned through financial security and the dignity that they deserve.)

There are several measures in the House seeking to address the provision of health insurance to workers in the informal sector. Last July 2025, Parañaque Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan urged the 20th Congress to approve proposals that would provide maternity benefits to pregnant women working in the informal sector.

Yamsuan was referring to his HB No. 2240, or the proposed Equal Maternity Protection Act, which seeks to provide a “one-time direct maternity cash benefit per delivery” to women in the informal sector, or those who are not Social Security System (SSS) members.

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This proposal covers freelancers, own-account workers, home-based workers and workers in unrecognized or unregulated employment relationships. —With reports from Martina Nieyandra Calica, trainee