In a country where public healthcare is a privilege, Filipinos suffering from illnessgather every finite resource that they can scavenge from the little money that they earn from their minimum wage jobs—while others tragically succumb to their preventable deaths.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that Universal Health Care (UHC) is a part of his 10-point agenda for his administration. In a report by GMA News Online, he noted that the country is already 80% closer to achieving universal healthcare, signaling significant progress in implementation. But despite being a “”priority,”” it remains unfelt by people as out-of-pocket spending for hospitals is still high, where households shoulder roughly 44% of all health spending directly.
Since 2008, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) has worked to change this reality. By investing in community clinics, strengthening health education, and confronting the roots of inequality in public healthcare—ZFF recognized that lasting change begins within communities.
At the grassroots level
The Traditional Ateneo de Davao University Awards highlight the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and communities, inspiring everyone to reach their full potential and live out the University’s core values.
“Doctors Jess and Trining de la Paz… were very committed to human development and…making/approaching health, in a way, that you actually enabled and empowered people. [The foundation] tries to enable people and organizations, particularly local governments, to improve their health situation through better leadership and governance and also through technical competence,” ZFF Chairperson Dr. Manuel Dayrit said.
The Universal Health Care Act, under the former President Rodrigo Duterte administration, was signed into law in February 2019, whichprovides for automatic membership in the National Health Insurance Program for all Filipinos. However, even the health budget may be the largest on record in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) over the years, this doesn’t automatically translate into better health outcomes for the Filipinos.
The ZFF has utilized Universal Health Care in local health care systems by mobilizing citizens, local leaders, and partner organizations,. The foundation helps building more responsive and effective healthcare systems. They have also launched AYSRH (Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health) to help young people navigate their adolescence.
ZFF also initiated the PuroKalusugan program, which empowers barangays to deliver essential health services in remote and underserved areas with pregnancy consultation, vaccinations, and community sanitation and hygiene services, among others. Itreaffirmed its commitment to work with the Department of Health in expanding health access and ensuring lasting improvements for communities across the region.
ZFF works through a methodological process: partnering with communities to pinpoint urgent needs and care gaps, then crafting tailored programs.
“The results that you want to get is to get healthy communities, but it doesn’t happen overnight. So you have indicators that are along the process as well as indicators at the end. It’s a lot of work to follow up all of these different people. It’s public health. It’s community health,” he emphasized.
Dayrit traced problems to socioeconomic roots and stressed that even if the government and the foundation provide subsidies through dole-outs or ayuda, the underlying issues will still not be resolved and continue to perpetuate the cycle of public health crisis.
“You know the problems really begin with social economic foundations. So many of them are poor. Because they’re poor, they don’t have a good education. They have to work very early, so children may be working already. And then because of all of these disadvantages, they’re not able to keep healthy. And these are their problems, so how do you break that cycle?”
Making a difference the Ignatian way
The shared goal is to improve the quality of people’s health, and the strength of this mission lies in the fact that everyone has a role to play in achieving it. Through its initiatives, ZFF fosters synergy among institutions, leaders, and communities, bringing together knowledge, skills, and resources to create lasting change.
“The foundation partners with the different groups, so that we can bring in the resources. It’s a synergy of people working towards a common goal,” Dayrit expressed.
With Ateneans armed and guided with the knowledge and teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola are well-equipped to contribute to the greater good and work toward the common goal of uplifting others, beginning within their own communities. Service does not always require grand or sweeping initiatives; meaningful change often starts with intentional acts.
Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) is a philanthropic organization that received the Drs. Jess and Trining De La Paz award for the year 2025. The Special Convocation for the Traditional University Awards & Conferment of Honorary Degrees was held on February 14, 2026 at 4/F Martin Hall.