What is the Annual Physical Examination (APE) Process in The Philippines?

Modified on: Mon, 9 Feb, 2026 at 8:15 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information for Employees
Information for Client Companies

All employees in the Philippines are required to complete an Annual Physical Examination (APE) once per year. This is part of employer compliance with DOLE health and safety standards and helps ensure employees’ wellbeing.

Horizons coordinates the APE process in partnership with our medical providers and brokers. This guide explains your responsibilities as an employee and how Horizons supports you throughout the process.

What Is the APE?

The Annual Physical Examination is a mandatory yearly medical check-up that includes 5 basic tests required for all employees.

If you recently completed a medical check-up within the past 3 months (e.g., from a previous employer or during onboarding), Horizons may accept these results instead.

Who Arranges the APE?

Horizons coordinates the overall process with medical providers, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), and brokers.
Employees are responsible for attending their appointment and submitting their results correctly.

Important: Your APE process depends on whether you have HMO coverage. Horizons will notify you directly of your category.

Information for Employees

APE Process Step by Step

A. If You Are Covered by an HMO

1. You will receive:

A Letter of Authorization (LOA)
A list of accredited medical facilities

2. Your responsibilities:

Book your appointment directly with the facility.
Attend your APE (no upfront payment needed).
After your check-up, send your results to:
ext_medical-check_ph@joinhorizons.com
CC: Support@joinhorizons.com

Do not send results to your employer company.
Medical results are confidential, you must only send them to Horizons as your legal employer. Please submit them only through the Horizons medical email.

B. If You Are NOT Covered by an HMO

1. You will receive:

A Letter of Endorsement (LOE)
A list of approved medical facilities

2. Your responsibilities:

Book your APE appointment
Pay the cost upfront
Submit the following for reimbursement:
- The invoice/official receipt
- Your LOE
Send your results to:
ext_medical-check_ph@joinhorizons.com
CC: Support@joinhorizons.com

Horizons will reimburse the cost through payroll once documents are reviewed.

Do not send results to your employer company.
Medical results are confidential, you must only send them to Horizons as your legal employer. Please submit them only through the Horizons medical email.

How Long Are Medical Records Stored?

Because results contain sensitive medical information, Horizons stores them securely in restricted-access systems.
Storage applies only for compliance and audit purposes.

Deadline Extensions

Extensions may be granted, but not automatically.

How to request an extension

You must:

Reply to the instruction email you received from Horizons Support.
Explain why you cannot meet the deadline.
Wait for Horizons to escalate your request.

How extensions are reviewed

Horizons Support forwards your request to our broker
The broker forwards it to the health service provider (e.g., COCOLIFE, GENERALI)
The provider reviews and may approve an extension
If approved:
- A new LOA (for HMO employees) will be issued, or
- A new LOE (for non-HMO employees) will be issued

COCOLIFE allows LOA validity extensions of up to 2 months from the date of issue (subject to approval).

When Will the APE Happen Each Year?

Although DOLE requires an APE at hiring and annually, Horizons completes APEs in one coordinated period each year (not per individual anniversary date) to avoid operational complexity.

This means:

All employees undergo APE during the same annual period
Horizons notifies employees in advance

Employee Responsibilities

As an employee, you must:

Attend your scheduled APE
Submit results to Horizons (not the employer company)
Keep your receipts if reimbursement is needed
Request an extension before the due date if necessary
Follow the instructions in your LOA/LOE

Failure to comply may affect compliance records required during audits.

How Horizons Supports You

Horizons will:

Coordinate with medical providers, brokers, and HMOs
Issue LOA or LOE (depending on your coverage)
Provide instructions and facility lists
Process reimbursements
Maintain secure records of medical documents
Communicate annual reminders

Information for Client Companies

As part of Philippine labor compliance, all employees must complete an Annual Physical Examination (APE) once per year. Horizons manages this process centrally on your behalf in coordination with our medical providers, HMOs, and brokers.

What you should know

Horizons communicates directly with employees regarding APE instructions, scheduling, and document submission.
Employees submit their medical results only to Horizons, as we are their legal employer. Results are confidential and are not shared with client companies.

High Volume Periods & Processing Timelines

APE campaigns are conducted during a coordinated annual period for all employees. Due to the high volume of cases during this time, processing and appointment timelines may be longer than usual.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during these peak periods. Rest assured, our team actively follows up with providers and brokers and does everything possible to ensure each employee completes their APE.

Your role

You do not need to take action unless Horizons contacts you directly.

Please avoid requesting medical results from employees or scheduling APEs independently, as this can create duplication and compliance risks.