All private and government employers must register with PhilHealth so their employees get health insurance coverage. You can register through the Philippine Business Registry with no documents to submit, or at any PhilHealth office with the Employer Data Record (ER1), a PMRF for each employee and proof of your business. You receive a PhilHealth Employer Number (PEN) and a Certificate of Registration to display.[1]
Who must register
PhilHealth states that all government and private sector employers are required to register so they can provide social health insurance coverage to their employees. That includes a sari-sari store with one helper.[1]
Do it in the same week you register with SSS and Pag-IBIG. The three agencies ask for similar papers, so one trip with a folder of copies covers all of them.
Two ways to register
Online: employers may register through the Philippine Business Registry. Once registered there, they no longer need to submit documents to PhilHealth.[1]
At a PhilHealth office: submit the Employer Data Record (ER1) form in duplicate and a PhilHealth Membership Registration Form (PMRF) for each employee, also in duplicate, plus proof of your business. A single proprietorship gives its DTI registration. Backyard industries and micro-business enterprises can give a barangay certification and/or a mayor's permit.[1]
Example: a home-based bakery in Malolos with no DTI name yet, but with a barangay certification, can use that certification as proof when it registers as an employer at the PhilHealth office.[1]
After you register
PhilHealth issues a PhilHealth Employer Number (PEN) and a Certificate of Registration. Employers, except household employers, must display the certificate in a conspicuous area of their office.[1]
Report newly hired employees on Form ER2 within 30 days from the day they start, and report separated employees on Form RF-1 within 30 days of separation.[2]
- RegisterThrough the business registry online, or at a PhilHealth office with ER1 and proof of business.
- Enroll your employeesSubmit a PMRF for each employee who has no PhilHealth number yet.
- Display your certificateHang the Certificate of Registration where staff and inspectors can see it.
- Report changesFile ER2 for new hires and RF-1 for separations within 30 days.
- Remit premiums monthlyDeduct the employee share, add the employer share and remit through PhilHealth's channels.
PhilHealth employer forms
These are the forms PhilHealth names on its Employer Registration and Reporting Your Employees pages:[1,2]
- ER1: Employer Data Record, filed when you register at a PhilHealth office
- PMRF: membership registration for each employee, filed with ER1 or for new employees
- ER2: report of newly hired employees, within 30 days of their start
- RF-1: report of separated employees, within 30 days of separation
How much to remit
From January 2025, the PhilHealth premium for employed members is 5% of monthly basic salary, with an income floor of ₱10,000 and a ceiling of ₱100,000. That makes the monthly premium ₱500 to ₱5,000. RA 11223, the Universal Health Care Act, sets the same 5% rate, floor and ceiling for 2025.[3,4]
PhilHealth reminds employers to compute contributions on the Monthly Basic Salary. PhilHealth has stated that the monthly contribution is equally shared by the employee and the employer, so each pays half.[3,5]
Missed past payments? PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0001 offers a one-time waiver of interest on missed employer contributions from July 2013 to December 2024. Settling in one month carries 0% interest, and a 7- to 12-month arrangement carries 2%. Employer requests are accepted until 31 December 2026 only.[6]
Example: a laundry shop in Bacolod pays a helper a ₱15,000 monthly basic salary. The premium is ₱750, so the shop deducts ₱375 from the helper's pay, adds its own ₱375 and remits ₱750. Recheck PhilHealth's advisories each January in case the table changes.[3,5]
PhilHealth premium by monthly basic salary
| Monthly basic salary | Monthly premium (5%) | Employer share | Employee share |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₱10,000 and below | ₱500 | ₱250 | ₱250 |
| ₱10,000.01 to ₱99,999.99 | ₱500 to ₱5,000 | Half of the premium | Half of the premium |
| ₱100,000 and above | ₱5,000 | ₱2,500 | ₱2,500 |
PhilHealth setup
- Register online through the business registry, or prepare ER1
- Bring your DTI certificate, or barangay certification or mayor's permit
- Fill in a PMRF for each employee without a PhilHealth number
- Display the Certificate of Registration
- Report new hires on ER2 within 30 days
- Set up payroll to remit 5% of each employee's monthly basic salary, split equally
Questions people ask
- Do small businesses need PhilHealth employer registration?
- Yes. PhilHealth requires all private sector employers to register so their employees are covered.
- What documents does a micro-business need?
- If not registering through the business registry, backyard industries and micro-business enterprises can submit a barangay certification and/or mayor's permit; single proprietorships submit DTI registration.
- How fast must I report a new employee?
- Within 30 days from the day the employee starts, on Form ER2.
- What is the PhilHealth premium rate?
- 5% of monthly basic salary, with a ₱10,000 floor and a ₱100,000 ceiling, so ₱500 to ₱5,000 a month. PhilHealth states the employee and employer share it equally.
- Can I avoid interest on missed PhilHealth contributions?
- PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0001 offers a one-time interest waiver on missed employer contributions from July 2013 to December 2024. Employer requests are accepted until 31 December 2026 only.
Sources
Checked 14 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- Employer Registration · PhilHealth
- Reporting Your Employees · PhilHealth
- PhilHealth Advisory No. 2025-0002: Premium contribution for CY 2025 · PhilHealth · January 2025
- Republic Act No. 11223 (Universal Health Care Act), Section 10 · Lawphil (text of the law) · 20 February 2019
- PhilHealth Advisory No. 2026-0001: One-time interest waiver for employers · PhilHealth · 2026