Senator Bong Go expressed support to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) proposed P113 billion allocation for 2026.
This was after the Supreme Court ordered the restoration of the P60 billion to the state health insurer.
The return of P60 billion, combined with the proposed P53.12 billion PhilHealth subsidy for 2026, raises the proposed budget allocation to P113 billion, making PhilHealth’s subsidy the largest single-year boost to universal healthcare in the country’s history.
“Pinagtibay ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema na ang kalusugan ng tao ang dapat ang inuuna.”
“Pinagtibay ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema na ang kalusugan ng tao ang dapat ang inuuna. Nakailang hearing din tayo noon kaya sulit ang ating pangungulit,” said Go, who as Chairman of the Senate Health Committee, presided more than a dozen hearings on PhilHealth.
“Ang pondo ng PhilHealth ay dapat para sa health. Ang PhilHealth po ay hindi negosyo na dapat mag-ipon ng pondo. Ito ay medical insurance para sa lahat upang may masasandalan ang lahat ng Pilipino kapag nagkasakit,” the veteran legislator added.
In this connection, the seasoned lawmaker vowed to continue to exercise the Senate’s oversight functions over the implementation of the universal healthcare coverage and monitor the status of utilization of funds for the rollout of its programs.
“Babantayan natin upang masiguro na ang pondo ng PhilHealth ay nagagamit lamang para sa kalusugan ng ating mga mamamayan,” the senator said.
“As a health reform crusader, I will not stop until PhilHealth fulfills all its promises to the Filipino people, especially the poor, the hopeless, and the helpless,” he emphasized.
To recall, Go began expressing concern on the management of PhilHealth funds in 2024, specifically opposing the transfer of the state health insurer’s excess funds to the National Treasury.
“Sabi ko noon, the fund transfer is morally unacceptable. Ngayon, legally wrong pa ayon mismo sa Korte Suprema.”
“Sa unang araw pa lang, nilabanan na natin ito. Sabi ko noon, the fund transfer is morally unacceptable. Ngayon, legally wrong pa ayon mismo sa Korte Suprema,” he pointed out.
Notwithstanding this legal victory, Go urged authorities to explain to the Filipino people where the P60 billion excess funds were actually utilized.
“Dapat ipaliwanag kung saan ginamit ang P60 billion na PhilHealth excess funds. Marami ang nangangamba na pati ito ay maaaring nagamit sa unprogrammed funds at para sa flood control at ghost projects na ginawang gatasan ng iilang mapagsamantala,” he concluded.
