How parents navigate the financial burdens of type 1 diabetes

Second of two parts

PART 1 | Lifetime commitment: What it’s like for kids with type 1 diabetes and their parents

Managing a chronic illness demands more than meticulous planning and strict adherence to routines. It also requires pockets that are deep enough to cover continuous, rising costs.

It’s a struggle felt by mothers Joanne Valencia and Jennifer Linga, as parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

“‘Yung first few months namin [after diagnosis], talagang said na said kami,” Jennifer said, recalling the time when her son, Neo, got diagnosed with T1D in 2020. “Doon namin na-realize na kailangan mo ng mas malaki pang savings tsaka backup plan.”

(During the first few months after diagnosis, our finances were really drained. That’s when we realized that you need bigger savings and a backup plan.)

T1D is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells, leading to very little or no insulin production. Insulin enables cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. Without it, children with T1D need multiple insulin shots a day to control glucose, as well as continuous monitoring to avoid dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.

Every month, Joanne and Jennifer spend around P12,000 and P15,000, respectively, on medical expenses alone. This includes extra devices bought for emergencies and routine checkups.

Among the most expensive items they buy are sensors for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), which have to be regularly replaced.

Joanne, mother of 12-year-old Sophia, shared: “Itong device niya (This device)…that’s around P1,600 per sensor. This is good for 15 days.”

SENSOR. Sophia Valencia, 12, shows off the adhesive patch covering the sensor inserted under her skin, which continuously checks her glucose levels. Photo by Eirene Manatlao/Rappler

The sensor is inserted under the skin and connected to a CGM phone app, where parents can monitor their children’s glucose levels in real time.

“May nag-introduce sa amin ng mas mura, although ito parang P1,700 siya kapag hindi naka-sale. Nasa P1,100, P1,200 [kapag naka-sale], so mas malaking tipid na,” Jennifer said.

(Someone introduced a cheaper sensor to us, although it’s P1,700 if not on sale. It’s about P1,100 to P1,200 if on sale, which saves us a lot.)

When stocks of cheaper sensors run out online, they usually find more expensive sensors priced at around P4,000 each at pharmacies.

MONITORING. In Jennifer Linga’s home, Neo’s glucose monitor is connected to a phone that’s always on display in their living room, so it’s visible whenever they pass by. Photo by Eirene Manatlao/Rappler

For insulin, Sophia and Neo require two types: long-acting basal insulin to keep glucose levels steady all day, and fast-acting bolus insulin taken every meal to manage sugar. Both cost P600 to P800 per pen, and each child uses around 2.5 pens of each insulin type monthly. Insulin pen needles, meanwhile, are P19 each or P1,900 for 100 pieces.

They also have a glucometer to manually measure glucose levels by analyzing a drop of blood. Needles for this cost around P400 for 50 pieces, which come with test strips.

Additionally, the parents allocate an estimated P8,000 to P10,000 monthly for food.

“Magastos ang may [diabetes],” Jennifer said. “’Yung mga adult diabetic nga nagrereklamo na sila. Paano pa ‘pag bata? Kasi ‘pag mga batang diabetic, mas mahirap minsan pakainin.”

(Having diabetes is costly. Adults with diabetes are already complaining. What more the children? It’s sometimes harder to feed kids who are diabetic.)

Seeking aid

With steep costs weighing on their shoulders every month, Jennifer and Joanne seek assistance available to them — barangay and city aid, or guarantee letters.

Joanne said they got free supplies at a partnership event of the Valenzuela City government and some pharmaceutical companies. “Maraming mga bata, around 121 kids [na] part ng program, nakatanggap sila ng free insulin, needles, [gluco]meter, meter strips.” (Many kids, around 121 kids who were part of the program, were given free insulin, needles, glucometers, and meter strips.)

When Rappler visited Jennifer and Neo, they were about to head out to receive cash aid from the Manila City government after Neo’s father spent a few hours lining up.

“Every three months ‘yun, nagbibigay sila ng medical assistance. P500 per month, so P1,500. Pipila ka do’n,” Jennifer said.

(That’s good for every three months, they’ll hand out medical assistance. It’s P500 per month, so we get P1,500. You have to wait in line for it.)

AID. Eight-year-old Neo Linga holds his P1,500 medical assistance given by the Manila City government. Photo by Eirene Manatlao/Rappler

A guarantee letter or GL — a document requested from government offices or public officials attesting that they will shoulder a certain amount of a patient’s medical expenses — needs more processing time.

“You have to line up and submit requirements. Tapos bibigyan ka nila ng parang code. You get P5,000 for medicine, pero [it’s] not cash…. [Ibibigay mo sa pharmacy] ‘yung code, bibigyan ka nila ng gamot. Pero kasi since lagi akong [kasama ni Sophia], hindi ako makaasikaso,” Joanne said.

(You have to line up and submit requirements. Then they’ll give you a code. You get P5,000 for medicine, but it’s not cash. You give the code to the pharmacy, then they’ll give you the medicine. But since I’m always with Sophia, I can’t handle it regularly.)

As co-founder of Type 1 Diabetes Parents PH, Jennifer made a step-by-step guide for their members on how to secure GLs.

Assistance from PhilHealth?

Asked whether they have availed themselves of benefits from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), both moms shook their heads.

“Unfortunately, ‘yung mga gamot ng mga bata, hindi siya kasama doon sa listahan ng gamot nila. So, ‘yung P20,000 na sinasabi nilang puwede mong makuha, hindi naman namin makukuha,” Jennifer told Rappler.

(Unfortunately, the medicines that our kids take aren’t included in their list. So we can’t get the P20,000 they said we could get.)

She was referring to a component of PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program or YAKAP, where registered individuals can access medicine worth up to P20,000 annually, apart from checkups, laboratory tests, and medical screening benefits.

LIMITED COVERAGE. Only three medicines for diabetes patients are listed under PhilHealth’s YAKAP. Image from PhilHealth

“Siguro laboratory, makukuha namin. ‘Yung libreng HbA1c (hemoglobin test), ‘yung creatinine…‘yun siguro puwede mong ma-avail. Pero ‘yung gamot na kailangan mo — kaya ka nga lumapit para sa gamot — is not included doon sa listahan nila,” Jennifer added.

(Maybe we can get laboratory tests. The free HbA1c, creatinine tests, maybe you can avail yourselves of that. But the medicine you need — the reason why you need aid in the first place — is not included in their list.)

Joanne said: “The government is not really vocal and not really too accessible for people with this condition. Hindi siya accessible (It’s not accessible).”

Rappler has been reaching out to PhilHealth for an interview. We will update this story once we have the state insurer’s response.

Bid to be considered PWDs

When Jennifer was invited to a Senate health and demography committee hearing in June 2025 to represent their group, she called for wider assistance for children with T1D. In their view, T1D patients should be considered persons with disabilities (PWDs), and therefore eligible for discounts under the law.

“Sa oras po na ito, hindi po kami binibigyan ng PWD ID hangga’t wala po [silang] complication. Eh kaya nga po kami nagpapagamot para maiwasan ang complication [sa] mga bata,” Jennifer said during the hearing.

(At this time, we are not given a PWD ID unless they develop complications. But our children are receiving medical treatment precisely to prevent complications.)

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) maintained that diabetes is not considered a disability per se, citing the definition of a PWD from the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities or Republic Act No. 7277.

A PWD refers to someone “suffering from restriction or different abilities, as a result of a mental, physical, or sensory impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.”

NCDA Information Officer Jayme Mariño emphasized that there must be a functional limitation, or a restriction that hampers a person’s daily activities, in order for a person to be considered as having a disability.

“While it is permanent in nature, [T1D] is not automatically considered a disability under the law,” he told Rappler. “Thus, a person with type 1 diabetes may qualify if the condition leads to functional impairment. Otherwise, the diagnosis alone is not [a] sufficient basis for eligibility.”

But Jennifer asserted: “Wala naman silang control do’n sa nangyayari sa katawan nila (They have no control over what’s happening to their bodies)…. Let’s not wait for the children to have complications.”

While their pleas to the government have yet to be acted on, parents of children with T1D like Joanne and Jennifer rely on each other for support and knowledge in a society still largely unfamiliar with the disease.

“Sana mapansin ng…Senate. Sana mapansin ulit ng government na there are type 1 diabetic patients who are existing that also need medical attention and medical assistance,” said Jennifer.

(I hope the Senate will take notice. I hope the government will notice that there are type 1 diabetic patients who are existing that also need medical attention and medical assistance.) – Rappler.com