Politics · Philippines Bureau
PhilHealth sitting on P311 billion in unreleased state funds
A Philippine lawmaker has disclosed that the state health insurer has failed to release over P311 billion in allocated government funding. The revelation came during congressional budget deliberations for the health sector's 2027 spending plan.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is holding P311 billion in unspent state funds that remain unavailable for health programs, according to Bataan Representative Albert Garcia.
Garcia made the disclosure while discussing the health sector's proposed budget allocation for 2027 during congressional floor debates. He identified P199.44 billion in obligatory funding derived from sin tax collections and other government revenues as part of the unreleased amount.
The unreleased funds represent a significant portion of PhilHealth's annual budget and raise questions about the insurer's capacity to execute its mandate of providing universal health coverage to Filipinos. The reasons for the delayed fund release were not immediately detailed in Garcia's budget sponsorship.
The revelation adds to ongoing scrutiny of PhilHealth's financial management and operational efficiency, as lawmakers continue to assess the agency's performance in utilizing government appropriations for health insurance coverage and related services.