President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured Filipinos that the government’s Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) program in state-run hospitals will be sustained, stressing that public funds are meant to provide essential health services. In his latest podcast aired Tuesday, he said, “Yes. I don’t do anything that I cannot sustain… It has to be self-sustaining. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.”
Marcos acknowledged the high cost of healthcare but emphasized its importance. “Yes, it’s expensive. Healthcare is expensive. But what is that money for? It’s not to be kept in the bank. It’s there to spend so that people can have healthcare for free or cheap. That’s the whole point of PhilHealth,” he said.
He linked the program’s sustainability to fiscal discipline and anti-corruption efforts. “Basta’t ‘yung pera pumunta sa tama, lahat ‘yan kaya nating bayaran. Ganoon lang kasimple ‘yan (So long as the money goes to the right place, we can pay for it all. It’s that simple),” Marcos added, referring to the need to prevent losses from anomalies like the alleged flood control project irregularities under investigation.
The ZBB program requires PhilHealth and government hospitals to ensure patients pay nothing out-of-pocket for covered services, easing the financial burden on millions of Filipino families.
