The Department of Health’s (DOH) controversial medical assistance program saw its budget raised to P51 billion at the bicameral conference committee level despite calls from civil society groups to defund pork and patronage programs.
If signed into law, the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program will receive a higher allocation than the P42 billion it was given in 2025.
Civil society watchdogs have long criticized MAIFIP as part of a group of social aid programs vulnerable to political patronage.
The program is often grouped with the now-defunded Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
The House of Representatives initially proposed a P49-billion budget for MAIFIP, which was later reduced to P29 billion by the Senate.
During bicameral deliberations, House lawmakers appealed to senators to restore the higher allocation.
House Committee on Appropriations chair Mikaela Suansing said maintaining the Senate version could affect an estimated 1.1 million patients.
She also cited the delayed implementation of the zero-balance billing policy promised under the Marcos administration.
Several bicam panel members acknowledged that MAIFIP, which relies on guarantee letters from politicians, is prone to politicking.
However, they said many poor patients have no alternative access to healthcare due to gaps in the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.
“In an ideal world, there would be no guarantee letters from lawmakers,” Sen. Loren Legarda said, adding that assistance remains necessary until PhilHealth can fully shoulder patients’ needs.
