Senator Loren Legarda on Monday called on the government to fully restore PhilHealth’s mandated funding and address budget gaps from the past three fiscal years, citing risks to the Universal Health Care (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.
Legarda highlighted that PhilHealth received zero national subsidy in 2025 after the proposed ₱74.431 billion was deleted during budget finalization. The cut included ₱53.134 billion for indirect contributors’ insurance, ₱21.17 billion for UHC benefit packages, and ₱121.17 million for PAMANA beneficiaries. Despite this, PhilHealth continued coverage, straining reserves.
She also criticized the 2024 tapping of PhilHealth reserves by the Department of Finance, stressing, “That money belongs to PhilHealth,” and must be returned.
For 2026, PhilHealth is proposed to receive ₱53.262 billion from sin tax collections, with the House adding ₱60 billion, totaling ₱113.262 billion. Legarda welcomed the increase but said it still does not replenish past deficits.
She stressed that complete and predictable funding is essential for PhilHealth to fulfill the UHC Law’s mandate and ensure continuous, quality healthcare for all Filipinos.