Party-list medical assistance 2026: how to ask your representative, and an office directory of the 20th Congress

Many patients still ask party-list representatives for help with hospital bills and medicines. But the rules changed in 2026. Under the 2026 national budget law, politicians can no longer take part in distributing government medical and financial aid, and the DOH says you do not need a guarantee letter from a congressman to get help. This guide explains what party-list offices can and cannot do now, the documents to prepare, a sample request letter, and an office directory of all 57 party-lists in the 20th Congress (64 representatives).

Last checked: October 27, 2026. The list of representatives is based on the House of Representatives member directory, COMELEC proclamation reports and official oath-taking reports. Contact details change often, so confirm with the House trunkline before you travel or send documents.

Quick answer

• Party-list offices are not cash windows. At most, they help you prepare and endorse a request to DOH, DSWD or a hospital, or help with their own (non-government) funds.
• No politician’s guarantee letter is needed for DOH’s MAIFIP medical assistance in 2026. You can go straight to the hospital’s Malasakit Center or medical social service, or to DOH or DSWD.
• Official email addresses for party-list medical help are almost never published on government sites. The official, safe channel is the House trunkline (02) 8931-5001 plus the office’s local number, or a walk-in at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.
• At the House itself, the Suporta sa Bayan Desk at the North Gate checks your documents and endorses requests to DOH or DSWD, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Asking for help is free. Never pay a “fixer” or anyone who promises fast approval.

What changed in 2026: guarantee letters from politicians

Section 19 of the 2026 General Appropriations Act says that no elected officials, candidates, politicians, political parties or their representatives may “influence, be present in, participate in, or take part in the actual distribution of any cash assistance and other forms of financial aid” (Inquirer, Jan. 8, 2026).

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said patients “can go straight to the Department of Health” and that a guarantee letter from an elected official is not needed. Politicians may still write a request letter to DOH for a constituent, but if a politician issues a guarantee, that politician must pay it, not the government (ABS-CBN, Jan. 7, 2026). Private hospitals decide for themselves whether to accept a politician’s guarantee letter.

In February 2026, DOH issued Administrative Order 2026-0031, the new MAIFIP guidelines. It puts the program under DOH’s Malasakit Program Office and is meant to enforce the ban on guarantee letters from elected officials (Philstar, Feb. 28, 2026).

What this means for you: a party-list office can still listen to your case, check your papers and refer or endorse you, and some may help with their own resources. But approval and payment of government medical aid now come from DOH, DSWD or the hospital, not from the representative.

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

Option inside the House: Suporta sa Bayan Desk

The House of Representatives opened the Suporta sa Bayan Desk (SBD) in March 2026. House Deputy Secretary General Edgardo Pangilinan explained that DSWD and DOH still provide the assistance; the desk checks your requirements so your papers are complete when they reach the agency (GMA News, Mar. 26, 2026).

• Where: near the North Gate of the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City.
• When: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, first come, first served (Daily Tribune, June 30, 2026).
• Help covered so far: medical bills, medicines, dialysis, operations, therapy and funeral costs. About two-thirds of approved requests were handled by DOH and the rest by DSWD (Daily Tribune).
• Scale: ₱381.5 million in assistance to 7,174 beneficiaries from March 18 to the end of July 2026, per the Speaker’s office (Inquirer, Aug. 5, 2026).

Reports put the desk’s daily capacity at around 72 people, so arrive early.

Documents to prepare

Each office and agency sets its own list, so ask first. These are the usual documents:

• Medical abstract or medical certificate, signed by the attending doctor and recently issued.
• Statement of account (SOA) or hospital bill, for hospital bills.
• Prescription and quotation, for medicines; laboratory request and quotation, for tests or procedures.
• Valid ID of the patient, plus the ID of the person filing if it is not the patient.
• Request letter addressed to the office (sample below).
• If someone files for the patient: an authorization letter and proof of relationship (for example, a birth or marriage certificate).

Some offices or agencies may also ask for a barangay certificate of indigency or a social case study from a social worker.

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

How to ask a party-list office, step by step

1. Try the hospital first. Ask for the Malasakit Center or the medical social service. In DOH hospitals, ward patients may be covered under zero balance billing.
2. Pick one or two offices that fit your situation, for example the party-list of your sector (seniors, workers, farmers, teachers) or your region.
3. Call the House trunkline (02) 8931-5001 and ask for the office’s local number. Ask: Do you accept medical assistance requests? Where do I send documents? What are the walk-in days and hours? Do you have an official email?
4. Send or bring a complete set of documents. Write the patient’s name, hospital and contact number on the request letter.
5. Keep copies and note who received your request and when.
6. Follow up once after a few working days. If the office cannot help, go to the Suporta sa Bayan Desk, DOH, DSWD or your LGU.

Sample request letter

Copy this, fill in the brackets, and print or attach it.

[Date]

Hon. [Name of Representative]
[Party-list name] Party-list
House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Quezon City

Dear Hon. [Surname],

I am [your full name], [relationship, e.g., daughter] of [patient’s full name], [age], who is confined at / being treated at [hospital name] for [diagnosis].

Our family is requesting assistance for [hospital bill / medicines / laboratory tests / procedure] amounting to ₱[amount], as shown in the attached [statement of account / prescription and quotation / laboratory request]. We have [already received / not received] help from [PhilHealth, Malasakit Center, DSWD, others].

We respectfully ask your office to help us or endorse our request to the proper agency. Attached are: [list of documents].

You can reach me at [mobile number] or [email].

Thank you very much.

Respectfully,
[Signature over printed name]
[Address]

Directory: party-list offices in the 20th Congress (57 party-lists)

All party-list offices are in the House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, IBP Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City. The House trunkline is (02) 8931-5001 (House website). Dial it and give the operator the local number below.

About emails: we did not find official, government-published email addresses for party-list medical help. Only two party-lists have a general email on their own official website, and those are general inboxes, not medical desks. Gmail or Yahoo addresses circulating in social media lists are not included here because we could not confirm them from an official source.

About phone numbers: the House member pages were not loading for us during this update, so the local and direct numbers below come from a copy of the House member directory published by BetterGov.ph (a civic-tech site, not a government office). We spot-checked them against an official House profile. Always confirm through the trunkline.

Being listed does not mean an office has an open medical assistance program. Ask first.

📌 Read also: Senators’ medical assistance contact list 2026: emails and local numbers

Tips

• Call before you travel. Office walk-in days and hours are not published officially and can change.
• Bring photocopies, and keep the originals unless the office asks to see them.
• Be honest about help you have already received. Offices and agencies may check.
• Apply early, before discharge, if the help is for a hospital bill.
• If you live far from Manila, ask the office whether it has a regional or satellite office.

Red flags: avoid scams and fixers

• Anyone who asks for a fee, “processing” money or a share of the assistance. Requesting help is free.
• “Guaranteed approval” or “fast lane” offers from people outside the office.
• Unverified emails or pages asking you to send IDs and medical records. Confirm the address by calling the House trunkline first, since your documents contain private information.
• Requests to send money by e-wallet to “release” the assistance.

If someone asks you for money, refuse and report it to the office concerned.

FAQs

Do I still need a guarantee letter from a congressman?

Not for DOH’s MAIFIP program. The DOH says you can go directly to DOH, and politicians are barred from distributing government financial aid under the 2026 budget law. Private hospitals may still decide whether to accept a politician’s own guarantee letter.

Will a party-list give me cash?

Do not expect cash on demand. Under the 2026 rules, government aid is released by DOH, DSWD or their accredited partners. A party-list office may refer or endorse your request, or help with its own resources.

Can I ask more than one office?

Yes, but tell each office what help you have already received. Duplicate requests for the same bill may be checked.

Is there an official email for each party-list?

Most party-lists do not publish one on an official government site. Call (02) 8931-5001 and ask the office directly for its official email.

Can someone else file for the patient?

Usually yes, with an authorization letter, the representative’s valid ID and proof of relationship. Ask the office first.

Sources

• House of Representatives: 20th Congress member directory
• House of Representatives: contact (trunkline and address)
• House member profile: Rep. Antonio Tinio
• COMELEC: certified list of party-list groups and nominees, 2025 elections
• PNA: COMELEC proclaims 52 winning party-lists
• Malaya: Abono, Ang Probinsyano and Murang Kuryente proclaimed
• Inquirer: no more need for health aid guarantee letters (GAA Sec. 19)
• ABS-CBN: Herbosa on guarantee letters
• Philstar: DOH AO 2026-0031, new MAIFIP guidelines
• GMA News: House rolls out Suporta sa Bayan Desk
• Daily Tribune: Suporta sa Bayan Desk schedule and results
• Inquirer: 7,000 beneficiaries assisted by the desk
• ABS-CBN: Jeffrey Soriano (ACT-CIS) oath
• ABS-CBN: Jan Franz Chan (Ako Bicol) oath
• ABS-CBN: Karl Legazpi (Pinoy Workers) oath
• GMA News: Elmer Catulpos (1Tahanan)
• Philstar: Rep. Jojo Ang suspension
• BetterGov.ph copy of the House party-list directory (phone numbers)
• Akbayan official website
• TUCP official website

Disclaimer: This guide is for general information only. Representatives, room numbers, phone numbers and assistance programs can change at any time, and each office and agency sets its own requirements. Confirm with the office through the House trunkline before you travel or send documents. Pilipinas Guide is not affiliated with the House of Representatives, any party-list, DOH or DSWD, and does not accept or process applications.