MANILA, Philippines — Senator Bong Go expressed strong disapproval of the bicameral conference committee’s decision to eliminate the ₱74 billion subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in 2025, describing the move as “anti-poor.”
In a statement, Go called the decision “unacceptable,” even with PhilHealth’s reported ₱600 billion reserve funds.
“How can PhilHealth fully expand its benefits for Filipinos if the government does not allocate even a single peso in subsidy?” Go questioned.
He emphasized the need to properly utilize PhilHealth’s funds and urged fellow lawmakers to ensure that government resources are directed towards healthcare, as mandated by law.
“While we advocate for PhilHealth to use its funds correctly, as legislators, we must also support this goal by guaranteeing that funds meant for healthcare are spent solely on healthcare,” he said.
The senator highlighted that the Universal Health Care law obligates the government to ease the medical expenses of Filipinos.
However, Go warned that the decision to withdraw the subsidy would hinder this objective. “We are still far from achieving this goal, and removing PhilHealth’s budget might push us even further back,” he said.
Earlier, Senate President Chiz Escudero defended the committee’s decision, attributing it to PhilHealth’s failure to fulfill its mandate.
Escudero stated that the subsidy cut should serve as a wake-up call for the agency to improve its performance.