PCSO medical assistance (MAP) 2026: requirements, how to apply online and how to use the guarantee letter

Need help paying for a hospital bill, chemotherapy, dialysis or medicines? The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) helps patients through its Medical Access Program (MAP). PCSO does not give cash. If your request is approved, it issues a Guarantee Letter (GL) addressed to a PCSO Partner Health Facility, which then charges part of your bill to PCSO. There is no yearly deadline. You can apply online or at a PCSO office or Malasakit Center desk, but the daily online slots fill up, so apply early in the morning.

Last verified: October 13, 2026, against the PCSO Medical Access Program page, the PCSO Citizen’s Charter and the PCSO Online MAP system.

Who can apply

• Patients who need financial help for medical treatment, especially those who cannot cover the full cost themselves.
• In-patients in charity or private wards and out-patients, as listed in the PCSO Citizen’s Charter.
• A family member or representative can apply for the patient. Bring the patient’s and your own valid ID, and an authorization letter if asked.

You do not need a politician’s endorsement. What matters is a complete set of documents and a hospital or provider that is a PCSO Partner Health Facility (PHF).

What PCSO MAP covers

The PCSO MAP page and Citizen’s Charter list these request types:

• Confinement (hospital bill, in-patient)
• Cancer treatment: chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy
• End-stage renal disease: hemodialysis and erythropoietin (dialysis injection)
• Specific medicines, such as erythropoietin, hemophilia and post-transplant medicines
• Laboratory, diagnostic and imaging procedures
• Implants and medical devices

PCSO does not publish a fixed peso amount. Each request is assessed case by case, and the assistance covers only part of the actual cost.

📌 Read also: Hospitals that accept medical assistance in the Philippines (2026 list)

Requirements per type of assistance

Every request needs the MAP Application Form, a valid ID of the patient (and of the representative), and an original or certified true copy of the clinical or medical abstract or discharge summary with the doctor’s full name, signature and license number. Then add the documents for your request type:

Confinement

• Original final statement of account (SOA) or latest hospital bill, signed by the billing officer, with PhilHealth, senior citizen, PWD, HMO or other discounts already deducted
• Medical certificate if the case was handled in the emergency room
• Promissory note, if the patient was discharged or has died. It should be dated within 30 days of discharge or death

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy

• Original prescription
• Original or certified true copy of the treatment protocol or plan signed by the doctor
• Chemo drugs: one quotation from the hospital, or official quotations from three different suppliers if the hospital doesn’t have the medicine
• Radiation therapy: one official quotation

Hemodialysis and erythropoietin

• Hemodialysis: one official quotation from the dialysis center or hospital
• PhilHealth members: certification of the number of PhilHealth dialysis benefits still available
• Erythropoietin: original prescription

Laboratory, diagnostics, implants and devices

• Doctor’s request for the procedure
• Official quotation (for implants and medical devices, quotations from three suppliers if the hospital doesn’t supply it)
• Letter of acceptance from the facility saying it will honor the PCSO Guarantee Letter

Requirements can change and branches may ask for more, so check the latest checklist on the PCSO MAP page before you apply.

How to apply online (Online MAP system)

1. Scan every document as a PDF. Each file must be 2 MB or smaller.
2. Go to the PCSO Online MAP system (or the PCSO website, then E-Services, then Online MAP Application).
3. Click Create an Account, fill in your details and validate the registration from the email PCSO sends you.
4. Log in with your first name, last name, date of birth and email, then enter the one-time password (OTP) sent to you.
5. Click Application or Apply Now. Type and choose your Partner Health Facility, its city or municipality, and the type of request, then click Get Queuing Number.
6. Upload all required documents and click Submit Application. If you see that the system has reached its limit, the slots for the day are full. Try again on the next working day.
7. Wait for the email on your request. If it is approved, print the Guarantee Letter and the MAP form.

PCSO says the online application opens at 8:00 AM and closes once the day’s allowed number of cases is reached.

Applying by email (NCR) or walk-in

• NCR by email: download and fill out the MAP Application Form, scan it with all your documents, and email them to ncrmap@pcso.gov.ph, as stated on the PCSO MAP page.
• Walk-in: bring the originals and photocopies to the PCSO desk at a Malasakit Center inside a partner hospital, or to the nearest PCSO branch office. Ask the hospital’s Medical Social Service or billing office where the PCSO desk is.

📌 Read also: Where to ask for medical assistance: DSWD, PCSO, Malasakit Center, or LGU? (2026 guide)

Partner health facilities

PCSO GLs are addressed to a specific Partner Health Facility: government and private hospitals, dialysis centers, medicine retailers or diagnostic centers that have an agreement with PCSO. The online system only lets you choose from that list, and the list of PHFs is on the system’s Information page. If your hospital is not a partner, the GL can’t be used there, so ask the billing office first.

Processing time

For online applications, PIA’s feature on the program says applicants are notified of the status by email within 24 hours of submitting complete documents. Walk-in processing time depends on the office and the line. Incomplete documents are the most common reason for delays.

How to use the Guarantee Letter

1. Print the approved GL and the MAP form (or the assessment form sent by email).
2. Submit them, together with your complete documents, to the hospital, dialysis center, medicine retailer or diagnostic center named on the GL.
3. The facility deducts the GL amount from your bill and collects it from PCSO. You pay any balance, or cover it with other assistance.
4. Check the date and details printed on your GL. It is for the facility and request it names only.

Tips

• Apply while the patient is still admitted, and ask for the SOA only after PhilHealth has been deducted.
• Make sure the medical abstract is complete, signed, and has the doctor’s license number.
• Name your PDF files clearly and keep each under 2 MB.
• Log in right at 8:00 AM, when online slots open.
• You can combine the PCSO GL with DSWD AICS, LGU or legislator assistance for the remaining balance.
• Use only official PCSO channels. PCSO staff don’t need fixers, and you don’t have to pay anyone to apply.

📌 Read also: DSWD medical assistance (AICS) 2026: requirements and step-by-step guide

Questions people ask

Does PCSO give cash for medical assistance?

No. PCSO issues a Guarantee Letter addressed to a partner facility, which charges the approved amount to PCSO.

How much does PCSO give?

PCSO does not publish a fixed amount. Each request is assessed case by case and covers only part of the cost.

Can I use the PCSO GL in a private hospital?

Yes, if that private hospital is a PCSO Partner Health Facility. Ask its billing office before you apply.

Do I need a certificate of indigency?

It isn’t on the PCSO MAP checklist cited here, but some offices or hospitals may ask for one. Bring it if you have it.

What if the online system says it has reached its limit?

The day’s slots are full. Apply again on the next working day starting at 8:00 AM.

Can someone else apply for the patient?

Yes. A family member or representative can apply with the patient’s documents and their own valid ID.

Source

• PCSO Medical Access Program page
• PCSO Citizen’s Charter
• PCSO Online MAP Application System
• PIA: PCSO can help you punch a ‘ticket’ to a healthier, longer life

Pilipinas Guide is not PCSO and does not accept applications. Apply only through official PCSO channels.