Health officials warn budget cuts may weaken hospital expansion and insurance coverage

MANILA — Top health officials warned Wednesday that significant budget cuts approved by Malacañang for 2027 threaten to derail hospital expansion plans and compress coverage under the state-backed health insurance system. The Department of Health had requested P837 billion in funding for the coming year but received substantially less in the administration's proposed allocation, officials said. Philippine Health Insurance Corporation leaders similarly flagged concerns that reduced appropriations would constrain the agency's capacity to expand benefits and improve service delivery to millions of Filipino families. The proposed reductions come as the health sector grapples with persistent infrastructure gaps and growing demand for insurance coverage across the country's public healthcare system. Health officials did not immediately specify the exact shortfall in their budget proposals or detail which hospital projects and insurance initiatives would face delays or cancellation. The warnings underscore mounting pressure on the government to balance fiscal constraints against competing demands for expanded health services in underserved regions.