Senator Pia Cayetano asserted that the ₱60 billion returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), as ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., must be kept in the 2026 national budget, not only to implement the President’s directive, but because the law requires it.
Cayetano noted that the amount is already reflected in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) of the House of Representatives and said it is imperative that it is retained in the final General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“The inclusion of these funds in the budget is not a matter of discretion or politics: it is a matter of compliance with the law.”
“The inclusion of these funds in the budget is not a matter of discretion or politics: it is a matter of compliance with the law,” the veteran legislator stressed.
“We must ensure that this directive is not left to pronouncements alone but enforced through the budget process, with every peso serving the health needs of our people,” the veteran legislator added.
The lady senator cited that under the Universal Health Care Act and the Sin Tax Reform Laws of 2012 and 2019, a fixed share of sin tax revenues is earmarked for PhilHealth to fund universal health care.
These provisions, she said, are reinforced by Article VI, Section 29 (3) of the Constitution, which mandates that taxes collected for a special purpose be used solely for that purpose.
“These laws make it clear that funds from sin taxes must go to health.”
“These laws make it clear that funds from sin taxes must go to health. Diverting or withholding them is a violation of the law,” Cayetano said. “Keeping the P60 billion in the GAA is not optional; it is a legal and moral obligation to the Filipino people.”
“Our goal should always be to strengthen PhilHealth’s capacity to deliver on its mandate,” she concluded. “Every peso invested in healthcare is an investment in the lives and future of our people.”
