No PhilHealth subsidy in 2025
Metro Manila, Philippines – Embattled state health insurer PhilHealth was denied its request for a subsidy, a decision some lawmakers argue may be unconstitutional.
The National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacañang to Congress earmarked ₱74.43 billion in subsidy for PhilHealth.
“Ang PhilHealth ay hindi nabigyan ng budget. Sapagkat kailangan nilang gamitin muna
yung kanilang reserve funds,” Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on finance, told reporters on Wednesday.
[Translation: PhilHealth was not given any budget because it needs to first utilize its reserve funds.]
Poe referred to the report of the bicameral conference committee, composed of members from the Senate and the House of Representatives, which finalized the national budget version that will be sent to Malacañang for enactment.
PhilHealth has drawn public outrage for declaring ₱89.9 billion of its funds as excessive, allowing the Finance Department to have it reverted to the Treasury. The Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order against the transfer of the remaining nearly ₱30 billion.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said the government is obliged to pay the premiums of indirect contributors, including the poor, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
“Kapag inabandona ito ng gobyerno, ang papasan dito ay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan na buwan-buwan kinakaltasan ng PhilHealth,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“That’s why this ‘zero subsidy’ is unfair, illegal, and potentially unconstitutional. Paano na lang ang mga kababayang hindi makakapagbayad ng kanilang premium contribution?” she added.
[Translation: If the government abandons this, it will be shouldered by ordinary Filipinos paying PhilHealth contributions. That’s why this zero subsidy is unfair, illegal, and partly unconstitutional. What will happen to Filipinos who cannot pay the premium contribution.]
Hontiveros said the PhilHealth charter, the sin tax law and the Universal Health Care Act requires that portions of certain taxes go to the health insurer.
Senator JV Ejercito, principal author of the Universal Health Care Act, agreed.
“Meron naman silang ₱600 billion reserve fund but yun nga lang yung legality ang baka maquestion kasi nga nasa batas yan na its already earmarked (Although Philhealth has a ₱600 billion reserve fund, the legality may be questioned because the law has earmarked its funds),” he said.
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairperson of the Senate committee on health, said he has “strong reservations” on the denial of the PhilHealth subsidy — one of the reasons he has not signed the bicam report.
“Nais ko munang siguraduhin na bawat piso ng bayan ay magagamit nang tama at ang mga programa para sa kalusugan ay sapat na mapopondohan (I want to first ensure that every peso is used properly and health programs are sufficiently funded),” Go said in a separate statement.
