More than 260,000 residents of Quezon province were lifted out of poverty between 2021 and 2023, as the province’s poverty incidence among families fell from 16.3% to 6.7%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The sharp decline—equivalent to more than 50,000 families—drew national attention when Quezon Governor Helen Tan was named Outstanding Governor in Luzon by local social welfare development officers from across the country.
Tan, a physician by training, credited the reduction to a deliberate shift in provincial policy that placed health service delivery at the center of its poverty-reduction strategy.
“Pagdating ko po sa province, ang atin pong pinalakas at pinatibay ay ‘yung availability and accessibility of social services,” she said.
The governor said the province moved to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses at its 15 provincial hospitals, introducing a no-balance-billing policy that shielded families from the financial shock of hospitalization.
“Instead na bumibigat o humihirap ang aming mga kababayan—instead na sila ay nandoon sa middle-income earner, kapag dumaan sa stage na may matinding pagsubok sa kalusugan, for example, mangungutang siya, magsasangla siya—dahil sinasagot na fully ng probinsya ‘yung sa mga hospital namin, no balance billing, wala po talagang out-of-pocket sila,” Tan said.
To sustain the program, the provincial government overhauled procurement practices, driving down the cost of medicines through competitive bidding.
“Noong pagdating ko po, ang paracetamol binibili po nila ng mga 10, 15 pesos or more. Noong dumating po ako, binibili na po namin ito at less than a peso or one peso ang aming bili,” she said.
Hospital efficiency was also improved to maximize PhilHealth reimbursements, with Tan citing a 200 to 300% increase in PhilHealth income across provincial facilities.
Satellite offices established in all 41 municipalities supported service delivery on the ground, with the governor maintaining direct, real-time communication with field staff across all 41 towns.
“Baka wala pa po ako doon sa kalahati ng pinapangarap ko para sa kanila,” Tan said when asked how far along Quezon was toward her vision—acknowledging progress while signaling that more work remained.
