Quezon Province Governor Dr. Angelina “Doktora Helen” Tan proudly presented their Health Care Provider Network (HCPN) Sandbox, a financing approach aimed at making healthcare services more accessible to the province’s residents during the second plenary session of the PhilHealth Supporting the Thrust for UHC through Data, Information, and Knowledge Exchange Systems (STUDIES) Conference on 18 September 2025 at the Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Under the plenary theme, “Deepening the Role of Evidence in Health Financing Reforms in the Philippines,” the session explored the vital connection between research and policy, highlighted insights from local implementers, and examined how health financing research can be effectively integrated into national agendas.

The foundation of the Sandbox is the UHC Law, which mandates local government units (LGUs) to integrate health systems into unified networks, pool resources into a Special Health Fund, and direct PhilHealth’s income into that fund. Quezon Province began integrating its Sandbox in January 2023, setting the stage for an evidence-driven pilot of health financing that expands coverage for residents.

From the outset, the Sandbox focused on how health financing arrangements could support local health systems. Facilities throughout the province worked as a network to share resources equitably and adapt to changing needs. Advance funding, known as frontload capitation, enabled the system to prepare for demand and reduced the risk of medicine shortages. However, during payment reconciliation, several issues emerged, including data encoding errors, limited portability of services across facilities, inadequate transparency, and performance formulas that did not accurately reflect the actual care delivered.

Despite these challenges, Quezon Province’s Sandbox demonstrates how health financing can broaden access to care.. In 2023, the Sandbox covered 490,000 residents, about one in every five in the province. Funding increased from ₱72.98 million in 2023 to ₱100.99 million in 2024, and is expected to hit ₱132 million by the end of 2025. This rise translates to a higher allocation per patient, increasing from ₱500 to ₱1,700, which reflects improved healthcare services across the province.

“This is not failure—it is evidence. Reform is working, but must be refined. Local implementers are ready to be true partners in UHC,” said Dr. Tan, underscoring that these obstacles prove the reforms are functioning and require refinement. Quezon Province’s Sandbox demonstrates how health financing can expand access to UHC, while highlighting the operational and systemic challenges that persist, reminding us that lasting reform must be tested and strengthened where it matters most.

The PhilHealth STUDIES Conference is co-organized by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).