A standard pre-employment medical exam in the Philippines is the “Basic 5”: a complete blood count, a routine urinalysis, a fecalysis, a chest x-ray, and a physical exam. Anything past those five, a drug test, HBsAg, or an ECG, are add-ons your employer asked for.
Clinic prices for exactly those five tests start at PHP 530 at TopHealth, with Exact Diagnostic Center in Quezon City at PHP 775, Kaiser Medical Center at PHP 850, and Palawan Coop Hospital at PHP 1,299.81. Prices move, so confirm with the clinic before you go.
This guide covers the usual tests and published prices as of August 2026. It is general information, not legal or medical advice. For your own case, ask the clinic’s doctor, your employer’s HR, or DOLE.
What Is a Pre-Employment Medical Exam?
Pre-Employment Medical Exam or PEME is a screening test recommended to job applicants to check if they are physically and mentally healthy for the job. It involves the Basic 5 tests, covered in detail below.
You can book your pre-employment medical clearance on NowServing once you know which list your employer wants.
The Basic 5: Test List
Here’s what each of the five tests actually checks, and why employers ask for it.
Complete Blood Count
The CBC test counts your red cells, white cells and platelets. It doesn’t name a disease on its own. If a number comes back outside the normal range, the doctor reading your results will explain it.
Routine Urinalysis
The lab checks your urine for sugar, protein, blood and white cells. Anything flagged is something to go over with the doctor who reads your results.
You can book a urinalysis with a partner lab on NowServing if you’d rather schedule this test on its own.
Fecalysis
The stool exam looks mainly for intestinal parasites and their eggs. It’s the one people forget to prepare for, and it’s the item most often left off even though every clinic includes it in the Basic 5. Its shelf life at city hall is also the shortest, which matters later.
Chest X-ray, PA View
A posteroanterior film, meaning the beam runs back to front. It shows your lungs and the outline of your heart.
The reason it sits in every package is tuberculosis screening. An abnormal film is the finding that scares applicants most, and it’s also the one with the clearest rules attached to it.
Physical Examination
A doctor takes your blood pressure, height and weight, checks your eyes, ears, nose and throat, listens to your chest, and writes the classification. That written result is what your employer actually receives, and it works like the other medical certificates Filipinos get asked for: a statement of fitness, not a copy of your file.
The “8 Basic Pre-Employment Medical Examination” Is a Different List
This phrase names a separate list from a separate regime, the DOH’s overseas-worker requirement, not the Basic 5 with three extras bolted on. Here’s what’s actually on it, and where it differs from what local clinics sell.
7 Tests DOH Actually Named
BLR (DOH) Bureau Circular No. 1, s. 1990 sets the basic pre-employment examination for overseas work as the following:
- complete physical examination
- chest x-ray on plates not smaller than 11 x 14
- complete blood count including hemoglobin determination
- blood typing (ABO)
- urinalysis
- stool examination
- psychometric evaluation
That’s seven, and dental isn’t among them. The same circular puts the cost at PHP 250, which tells you how old it is.
Why Do Clinics Say Eight?
PDSC Davao, accredited for land-based overseas applicants, runs it as eight by adding a dental examination, plus an ECG if you’re 40 and above or if something shows up on the physical exam. So the “eight” is the DOH seven as clinics practice it, with dental on top.
What Actually Separates it from the Basic 5
Blood typing, dental and the psychometric exam don’t appear in any Basic 5 package. If you’re applying to a local company here and someone quoted you an “8 basic”, ask which list they mean, since the quote may be based on the overseas package instead.
|
Test |
Basic 5 (local clinics) |
“8 basic” (DOH overseas list) |
|---|---|---|
|
Physical examination |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Chest x-ray |
Yes, PA view |
Yes, plates not smaller than 11 x 14 |
|
Complete blood count |
Yes |
Yes, including hemoglobin determination |
|
Urinalysis |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Stool exam / fecalysis |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Blood typing, ABO |
No |
Yes |
|
Psychometric evaluation |
No |
Yes |
|
Dental examination |
No |
As clinics practice it, though not in the 1990 DOH list |
|
ECG |
Add-on, commonly at 35 and above |
If 40 and above, or with findings on PE |
If the job is overseas, the exam has to be done at a DOH-accredited clinic.
The 5 Add-ons That Keep Coming Up
Local clinics don’t sell a “Basic 8”. They sell add-on stacks.
What clinics sell instead is a ladder like the Basic 5, then the Basic 5 with named extras.
In rough order of how often they appear:
- 2-panel drug test for meth and THC
- HBsAg
- 12-lead ECG
- pregnancy test
- Hepatitis A screening (Anti-HAV IgM)
What Clinics Sell
Here’s how these clinics actually build that ladder:
- Kaiser: Sells Basic 5, Basic 5 with drug test, Basic 5 with ECG
- Health Screen: Runs seven rungs, up to Basic 5 with ECG, drug test and HBsAg together
- Elite MDC and GuadaHealth: Stack drug test, pregnancy test and Hepa B
What Isn’t in the Stack
FBS and blood typing only turn up in bigger annual and executive packages. If a clinic quotes you a “pre-employment” package with a fasting blood sugar in it, you’re being quoted something larger than the Basic 5.
Read this article to know more about blood sugar tests and their cost.
Fecalysis Expires Fastest, and the Number Changes per City
One month in Malabon and Baguio, three months in Quezon City, six months in Muntinlupa. Any single number you read online is wrong somewhere. Batangas City wants a drug test for its health certificate; Malabon and Muntinlupa don’t.
Age Triggers the ECG More Often than the Job Does
Immanuel Diagnostic Center lists a 12-lead ECG as optional for applicants over 35. GuadaHealth flags its ECG packages for employees 35 and above. The DOH and overseas rules use 40 and above, or any age if the physical exam turns something up.
At Kaiser the ECG add-on is PHP 450 on top of the Basic 5, which is exactly their à la carte 12-lead price. Their drug test add-on costs PHP 310, compared with a PHP 300 list price.
Cost of Pre-Employment Medical Examination in 2026
Prices vary by clinic, package, and whether you go through a private lab or a city health office.
Here’s what individual clinics published for the Basic 5 and its common add-on packages as of August 2026, sorted from lowest to highest. Prices change often, so confirm with the clinic before you go. Listing a provider here isn’t an endorsement.
|
Provider |
Where |
Package |
Price (PHP) |
What’s in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
TopHealth |
Manila, Makati, onsite |
Basic 5 |
“start at only P530” |
PE by a doctor, CBC, urinalysis, fecalysis, chest x-ray |
|
Exact Diagnostic Center |
Banawe and Libis, QC |
Package 8, Employee |
730 |
HBsAg, urinalysis, stool, chest x-ray, PE |
|
Exact Diagnostic Center |
Banawe and Libis, QC |
Package 7, Pre-Employment |
775 |
CBC, urinalysis, stool, chest x-ray, PE |
|
Kaiser Medical Center |
6 branches |
Basic 5 |
850 |
Consultation plus the five |
|
Benguet Laboratories |
SM Baguio Cyberzone |
PEME A / B / C |
980 / 1,230 / 1,500 |
Contents not published |
|
Patient First |
Makati and QC |
Pre-Employment |
1,000 |
PE, CBC, urinalysis, fecalysis, chest x-ray PA, drug test |
|
Exact Diagnostic Center |
QC |
Package 15, Yaya / Driver |
1,010 |
Not itemized |
|
Kaiser Medical Center |
6 branches |
Basic 5 + drug test |
1,160 |
|
|
Palawan Coop Hospital |
Puerto Princesa |
Pre-employment, promo |
1,168 |
Complete PE, digital chest x-ray, CBC, urinalysis, fecalysis |
|
SLU Sacred Heart Medical Center |
Baguio |
Pre-Employment |
1,199 |
CBC, urinalysis, stool, chest x-ray, history and PE, interpretation |
|
Palawan Coop Hospital |
Puerto Princesa |
Pre-employment, regular |
1,299.81 |
Same as promo |
|
Kaiser Medical Center |
6 branches |
Basic 5 + ECG |
1,300 |
|
|
MyHealth Clinic |
Multi-branch |
Basic PEME |
1,350 |
Visual acuity, PE, chest x-ray, 2-panel drug test, urinalysis, CBC. |
|
Philippine Heart Center |
East Ave., QC |
Basic Pre-Employment |
1,500 |
CBC, routine urinalysis, chest x-ray PA only |
|
Philippine Heart Center |
QC |
Pre-Employment I |
1,700 |
The above plus drug test |
|
Asian Hospital and Medical Center |
Alabang |
Pre-Employment |
1,750 |
CBC, urinalysis, stool with occult blood, chest x-ray, history and PE, visual acuity, interpretation |
|
Philippine Heart Center |
QC |
Pre-Employment II (34 and below) |
2,500 |
FBS, CBC, urinalysis, fecalysis, blood typing, chest x-ray PA, drug test |
|
AIDE |
NCR, home service |
Pre-Employment |
4,100 to 4,800 |
CBC with platelet, fecalysis, urinalysis, Anti-HAV IgM, HBsAg, at your house |
À La Carte Versus Bundle, the PHP 70 Gap
As of June 8, 2026, Kaiser publishes both its package prices and its individual test prices. Bought separately, the four core tests cost:
- Urinalysis: PHP 130
- Fecalysis: PHP 120
- CBC with platelet: PHP 320
- Chest x-ray: PHP 350
That’s PHP 920 total, PHP 70 more than the PHP 850 Basic 5 bundle, which also includes the consultation. Building your own Basic 5 out of single tests costs more and gets you less.
A Lower-Cost Route: City Health Offices
City health offices publish their own lab rates, a fraction of clinic pricing:
- Quezon City: Stool PHP 40, sputum PHP 97
- Baguio: Stool PHP 100, x-ray PHP 100
- Mandaluyong: Chest x-ray PHP 150
- Batangas City: Chest PA PHP 140
This route is built for the health card. If you’d rather use a private lab instead, check its DOH accreditation before you book. Whether your employer accepts results from a city health office rather than its own accredited clinic is the employer’s call, so ask first.
Fit to Work: What Class A, B, C and D Mean
Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Rule 1967.01(3), and every classification maps to one of these four outcomes:
|
Class |
What it means |
|---|---|
|
A |
Physically fit for any work |
|
B |
Physically under-developed or with correctible defects (error of refraction, dental caries, defective hearing and similar), but otherwise fit to work |
|
C |
Employable, but owing to certain impairments or conditions (heart disease, hypertension, anatomical defects) requires special placement or limited duty in a specified assignment with follow-up treatment or periodic evaluation |
|
D |
Unfit or unsafe for any type of employment (active PTB, advanced heart disease with threatened failure, malignant hypertension and other similar illnesses) |
Worried About a Finding?
A flagged result doesn’t automatically mean you’re unfit to work. Ask the clinic’s doctor what it means for your classification and what follow-up they recommend.
Hiring rules on things like Hepatitis B, HIV, TB, drug tests and pregnancy are set by government agencies and can change. For your own case, check with DOLE or the DOH, or talk to a lawyer.
How Long Are the Results Valid?
It depends on your employer and on whether the job is local or overseas. Ask HR or your recruitment agency how recent your results need to be before you book.
Who Pays for the Pre-Employment Medical Exam?
It varies by employer. Some pay for the whole exam, some ask applicants to pay, and some cover only part of it. Ask HR before you book so you know what to keep receipts for.
Your Results Are Private
Your medical results are sensitive personal information. What your employer usually receives is your fit-to-work classification, and you can ask the clinic for a copy of your own results.
Do you need to undergo a Pre-Employment Medical Exam? Book yours on NowExpress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the Basic 5 pre-employment medical exam?
The Basic 5 is a complete blood count, a routine urinalysis, a fecalysis, a chest x-ray, and a physical exam. Nine clinic pages checked in August 2026 list the same five, with one clinic calling the fifth item a consultation instead of a physical exam.
How much does a pre-employment medical exam cost in the Philippines?
Published clinic prices in August 2026 run from a starting price of PHP 530 at TopHealth to PHP 775 at Exact Diagnostic Center, PHP 850 at Kaiser Medical Center, PHP 1,199 at SLU Sacred Heart in Baguio and PHP 1,299.81 at Palawan Coop Hospital for the Basic 5. Packages with a drug test or an ECG added run higher, up to PHP 1,750 at Asian Hospital. Confirm with the clinic before you go.
What is the difference between the Basic 5 and the 8 basic pre-employment medical examinations?
The 8 basic is not the Basic 5 plus three extras. It is the DOH overseas-worker list from Bureau Circular No. 1, s. 1990, which names seven tests, and clinics practise it as eight by adding a dental exam. Blood typing, dental and the psychometric exam are what separate it from the Basic 5.
Do I need to fast before a pre-employment medical exam?
The Basic 5 has no fasting blood sugar or lipid test in it, which is the usual reason a lab asks you to fast. No published Basic 5 package requires fasting. If your employer added FBS or a lipid panel, ask the clinic when you book.
How long is a pre-employment medical exam valid?
It depends on your employer and on whether the job is local or overseas. Ask HR or your recruitment agency how recent your results need to be.
Who pays for the pre-employment medical exam?
It varies by employer. Some pay for the whole exam, some ask applicants to pay, and some cover only part of it. Ask HR before you book.
What happens if my chest x-ray shows something?
A flagged film doesn’t automatically mean you’re unfit to work. Bring the result to a doctor rather than to a search engine.
Conclusion
The Basic 5, a complete blood count, a routine urinalysis, a fecalysis, a chest x-ray, and a physical exam, is what nearly every local employer in the Philippines actually asks for. The “8 basic” overseas list, the LGU health card, and add-ons like a drug test or ECG are separate requirements that depend on where you’re applying and what the job needs.
Confirm which list your employer means, check the clinic’s price against what’s published here, and know what your employer needs before you book your exam.
Hiring several people at once? Talk to NowServing’s corporate team about arranging pre-employment exams for your new hires.
Visit NowExpress to book your pre-employment medical exam today!
