At least P13 billion of the P60 billion diverted from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in 2024 was used as government counterpart financing for foreign-assisted projects, a lawmaker revealed on Saturday.
The disclosure was made during the first day of bicameral conference committee deliberations on the 2026 national budget on Saturday, as Congress discussed how to return the funds to PhilHealth.
House Appropriations Committee senior vice chair and Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia detailed where the money went after it was reverted to the national treasury under a special provision of the 2023 General Appropriations Act.
Garcia said the largest share, amounting to P27.45 billion, was used to pay long-delayed public health emergency benefits and allowances for healthcare and non-healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another P10 billion was added to the Department of Health’s medical assistance program for indigent and financially incapable patients, which civil society groups have flagged as a form of pork barrel.
Sen. Imee Marcos questioned why P13 billion of the fund was eventually earmarked for foreign-assisted projects, saying money intended for healthcare should not be used for infrastructure.
“We’re going to allocate P60 billion for the second time, and we need to account for that,” Marcos said, warning against repeating the realignment.
Marcos also urged PhilHealth to publicly release a detailed accounting of its fund use and to fast-track benefit expansions such as zero-balance billing and coverage for high-cost illnesses.
Garcia said Congress would require PhilHealth to submit a more detailed breakdown and clarify how future appropriations would comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Last week, the Supreme Court voided a budget provision and a Department of Finance circular that allowed the transfer of P60 billion from PhilHealth’s “excess” funds to the national treasury.
