When a family member is in the hospital, the stress of their illness is often compounded by the anxiety of a growing hospital bill. One of the quickest ways to get financial relief in the Philippines is by requesting a Guarantee Letter (GL) from government offices, such as senators, partylists, or local officials.
While many offices accept walk-ins, sending an email is a safer, faster alternative—especially if you cannot leave the patient's bedside.
However, because these offices receive thousands of emails daily, yours needs to be clear, professional, and complete. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to write a GL request email, along with a template you can use right away.
Read my Personal Experience of Availing Malasakit Center Medical and Financial Assistance to know more.
3 Things Your Email Must Clearly State
Before you start typing, keep in mind that the staff reviewing your email will be looking for three key pieces of information within the first few seconds:
- Who is the patient and where are they? (Full name and the specific hospital).
- What is the situation? (The medical condition and the current financial need).
- Are the documents attached? (Without clear attachments, your email will likely be set aside).
Sample Email Template
You can copy, paste, and fill out this template. Make sure to replace the bracketed information with your actual details.
The Template
Subject: Request for Medical Assistance (Guarantee Letter) – [Patient's Full Name]
Dear Office of [Name of Senator or Partylist, e.g., Senator Bong Go / ACT-CIS Partylist],
Good day.
I am writing to respectfully request medical financial assistance or a Guarantee Letter (GL) for my [relationship to patient, e.g., father/mother/child/myself], [Patient's Full Name], who is currently admitted at [Name of Hospital] due to [Briefly state the illness or medical condition, e.g., Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease / Severe Pneumonia].
As of [Date today], our running hospital bill has reached [Amount, e.g., ₱45,000.00] and continues to increase. Because of our current financial situation, our family is struggling heavily to cover these unexpected medical expenses.
To support this request, I have attached scanned copies of the required documents for your review:
- Medical Certificate / Clinical Abstract
- Barangay Certificate of Indigency
- Valid IDs (Patient and Representative)
- Latest Statement of Account (SOA) / Running Bill
- Formal Request Letter (Signed)
[Add other documents if applicable, e.g., Laboratory Request / Medicine Prescription]
Any amount or assistance your office can extend to help lessen our hospital bill will be a massive relief to our family.
Thank you very much for your time, kind consideration, and your continuous service to the Filipino people. I pray for your positive response.
Respectfully yours,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Relationship to the Patient, e.g., Daughter]
[Your Complete Address]
[Your Mobile Number]
[Your Email Address]
Here's a list of DOH-Supervised Hospitals in the Philippines
Tips to Avoid Delays in Your Request
To make sure your email gets processed as quickly as possible, keep these important tips in mind:
Make Attachments Readable: Do not send blurry or poorly lit photos of your documents. Use a free mobile scanning app (like Adobe Scan or CamScanner) to convert your documents into clear, readable PDFs.
Watch the File Size: Email providers usually limit total attachments to 25MB. If you attach too many high-resolution photos, the email might fail to send. Compress the files if necessary.
Keep the Subject Line Clear: Do not leave the subject line blank or just write "Help." Using the format "Request for Medical Assistance – [Patient Name]" helps the office sort and track your request instantly.
Send Individually: Avoid "BCC-ing" or sending one email to 20 different senators at the same time. Send a separate, personalized email to each office. It looks more respectful and ensures it doesn't get flagged as spam.
Remember
A Guarantee Letter is not cash—it is a document issued by the official's office ensuring the hospital that a specific amount of the bill will be covered by government funds. Always check if your hospital accepts GLs from the specific office you are applying to before submitting your request.
