Photo credit: Senate PH

Senator Bong Go didn’t hold back his concern over the recently ratified Bicameral Committee Report, which sets a zero budget for PhilHealth in the upcoming year. Go made it clear that while PhilHealth’s massive reserve fund of over PHP 500 billion was uncovered during Senate Health Committee hearings he led, pulling out government support completely isn’t the answer.

The senator emphasized that defunding PhilHealth entirely goes against the welfare of ordinary Filipinos, especially the poor. “How can we expand PhilHealth benefits for Filipinos if not even a single peso will be provided as government subsidy?” he asked.

For Go, the fight to ensure that PhilHealth uses its funds correctly is critical—but so is continued government support. He argued that lawmakers should ensure public funds meant for healthcare are used exclusively for health purposes, as outlined by law.

Go also highlighted the importance of the Universal Health Care Law, which aims to lower medical expenses for all Filipinos in the coming years. However, he fears this goal could be derailed with PhilHealth receiving no government allocation at all.

“Poor patients will suffer the most,” Go stressed, pointing out that improving PhilHealth benefits is vital for indigent patients. By reducing their medical expenses, he said, Filipinos could allocate their limited funds to other essentials like medicine, food, and daily needs.

For the senator, ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare remains a priority—and the zero budget decision for PhilHealth simply doesn’t align with that goal.