Senator seeks full restoration of PhilHealth budget

Senator Loren Legarda urged the national government to fully restore the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s budget in 2026 and explain discrepancies in previous allocations, warning that health services remain at risk without proper funding.

During Senate deliberations on the General Principles of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, Legarda questioned the removal of previously approved PhilHealth funds from the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets.

She noted that PhilHealth received zero subsidy in 2025 despite an original National Expenditure Program proposal of PHP 74.431 billion.

She said the scrapped budget included PHP 53.134 billion for the insurance premiums of indirect contributors under the National Health Insurance Program, PHP 21.17 billion to enhance benefit packages under the Universal Health Care Law, and PHP 121.17 million for PAMANA beneficiaries.

Legarda said PhilHealth continued providing coverage to these groups despite the removal of funding, which strained its operational finances and depleted its reserves.

She also raised concerns over a 2024 incident in which the Department of Finance allegedly accessed PhilHealth’s reserve funds and demanded that the amount be returned to the agency.

For 2026, the NEP proposes PHP 53.262 billion for PhilHealth, sourced mainly from sin tax revenues.

Legarda, however, warned that the amount may be insufficient to meet the obligations under the UHC Law.

She welcomed the House of Representatives’ decision to add PHP 60 billion, raising the proposed total to PHP 113.262 billion, saying it supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to restore full PhilHealth funding.

“This increase is very much welcome,” Legarda said.

She clarified, however, that the additional amount still does not replenish PhilHealth’s diminished reserves.

She emphasized that the full allocation must be provided to fulfill the mandate of the UHC Law.

“We want to ensure PhilHealth receives the full, clearly earmarked funds it is entitled to—funds that are sufficient and readily available so it can deliver quality, affordable health care to every Filipino,” she said.

She added that beyond restoring shortfalls, the national budget must uphold the UHC Law’s requirement for clear, predictable, and annually earmarked PhilHealth funding.