President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday, Dec. 16, he will restore the P10-billion cut in the 2025 budget approved by Congress, which is dominated by his allies.

Marcos believes PhilHealth has ‘sufficient’ funds next year amid a possible zero subsidy under the 2025 budget. The Health Department says the state insurer will have a corporate budget of P284 billion.

The Senate on Monday ratified a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) with Japan that would allow their militaries to deploy on each other's soil as both countries worry about China's increasingly assertive stance in the region.