This white paper captures insights from the First Philippine Patient Congress, organized by the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations with IQVIA, to strengthen patient participation in universal healthcare. It examines persistent barriers including delayed access, limited awareness of benefits, financial hardship, uneven implementation, and gaps in supportive, palliative, and hospice care. The paper highlights how patient groups serve as care navigators, policy advocates, implementation monitors, and trusted links between communities and institutions. Workshop outputs focus on health technology assessment, PhilHealth and Malasakit access, organizational sustainability, communication, and local-to-global advocacy. It concludes that stronger funding, structured engagement, and formal

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