The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday said it is coordinating with Congress and the Executive branch to channel ₱60 billion back to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) through the 2026 national budget, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive.
In a statement released by Malacañang, the DBM said the move is “the clearest and most transparent way to strengthen the National Health Insurance Program and directly benefit Filipinos.” It added that a special provision may be included in the 2026 General Appropriations Act to specify the source and use of the funds.
Marcos earlier announced that the ₱60 billion in PhilHealth’s excess funds, which had been returned to the national treasury, will be restored to the agency. The amount came from government savings, mostly from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In 2024, the Department of Finance (DOF) ordered the transfer of ₱89.9 billion in unused PhilHealth subsidies to the Treasury. Of this, ₱60 billion has already been remitted, while around ₱29 billion remains with PhilHealth after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the transfer.
The move comes as the Marcos administration intensifies efforts to enforce its zero balance billing policy in state-run hospitals.