The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the Department of Health’s issuance of Administrative Order No. 2026-012 adopting the Unified National Agenda for Health (UNA Para sa Kalusugan), an important framework for advancing the right to health of all Filipinos. Its success will depend on translating these commitments into accessible, equitable, and quality health services, particularly for underserved and vulnerable communities.
The CHR views the Agenda as an opportunity to translate the country’s constitutional, statutory, and international human rights commitments into concrete improvements in people’s lives. The right to health means more than access to medical treatment. Health services must be available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality, without discrimination, consistent with the 1987 Constitution, the Universal Health Care Act, and the Philippines’ international human rights obligations.
The Commission particularly welcomes the Agenda’s five pillars: (1) healthy schools, workplaces, and communities; (2) a functional primary care system; (3) quality and efficient hospitals; (4) information technology transformation; and (5) strong institutions, workforce, and sectors. These priorities recognise that realising the right to health also requires addressing the social and environmental conditions that affect people’s ability to live healthy and dignified lives.
Effective implementation will determine whether the Agenda delivers meaningful improvements in people’s health. This requires adequate resources, meaningful public participation, and transparent monitoring and accountability. The CHR therefore calls for sustained implementation across all levels of government, with particular attention to underserved and vulnerable communities, and clear measures to ensure that the Agenda’s commitments translate into accessible services and tangible health outcomes.
The CHR stands ready to support a rights-based approach to implementing UNA Para sa Kalusugan. A healthier Philippines must be one where every person can enjoy the right to health equally, without discrimination, and with dignity.###