Tovic Salvador

Health advocates, labor and medical groups march against PhilHealth subsidy cut

Article (news)

Raphael Bosano

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Critics of the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in the proposed 2025 national budget on Wednesday trooped to Mendiola to air their disgust at what they called government’s disregard for the welfare of Filipinos.</p><p>Leading a group of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and health workers, former finance undersecretary Cielo Magno said that while they welcome the recent statement of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin saying that the signing of the national budget will have to be delayed to “allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review,” adjusting the proposed budget should not take too much effort.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:456px;height:619px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1869203985829396629&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-12-18T06%3A18%3A27.368425%3Adba8f209-966c-4b3b-92dd-43ebaf2809c7%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=ca45d89a76b31516aa17efd5257068a556cc44a6&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1869203985829396629"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>“Napakadali naman ng desisyon kung ang iniisip natin ay kapakanan ng taumbayan. Pero pag talagang tinatry mo talagang gawing priority ang kapakanan ng mga pulitko, at pag nag-ingay na ang taumbayan magugulat sila,” she said.</p><p>(It’s easy to decide if you think about the public’s welfare. But if you prioritize the interest of politicians, once there’s a public uproar, you’ll be surprised.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2024/12/17/palace-won-t-push-through-with-gaa-signing-marcos-to-veto-parts-of-budget-bill-0734">Palace won&#x27;t push through with GAA signing, Marcos to veto parts of budget bill</a></div><p>Magno said Malacañang review is welcome, adding the House and Senate  should also reflect on the budget they approved.</p><p>“[Sana] siguraduhin na yung 2025 budget natin, sana naman ang nilalaman nito ay para sa taumbayan at hindi para sa pulitiko.”</p><p>(We hope the [House and Senate]...ensure that the 2025 budget is really for the public and not for politicians.)</p><p>The lack of PhilHealth subsidy and cuts to the Department of Education budget alongside funding for the Department of Social Welfare and Development&#x27;s Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), which has been compared to &quot;pork barrel&quot; for its alleged potential for political patronage, has prompted criticism of and protests against the proposed 2025 spending plan.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/15/wrap-cuts-to-deped-philhealth-as-2025-budget-bill-nears-finish-line-2124">WRAP: Cuts to DepEd, PhilHealth as 2025 budget bill nears finish line</a></div><p>Magno lamented that giving Philhealth no subsidy in 2025 is a violation of the government’s social contract with the Filipino people.</p><div><strong>SCALED DOWN ANNIVERSARY BUDGET</strong></div><p>In an phone interview, PhilHealth spokesperson Israel Francis Pargas millions worth of projects and collaterals meant for the state health insurer&#x27;s 30th anniversary are set to be scaled down.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/17/philhealth-board-disapproves-almost-p38-m-from-anniversary-celebration-budget-2145">PhilHealth board disapproves almost P38 million from anniversary celebration budget</a></div><p>On Wednesday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa — also chair of the PhilHealth board — said that they have disapproved almost P38 million worth of collaterals for the celebration.</p><p>Pargas said the various issues surrounding PhilHealth&#x27;s budget were among the considerations for further scaling down budgetary requirements for its anniversary.</p><p>“Kelangan din talaga pong i-evaluate. We really had to do our part in making sure na hindi tayo magiging lavish, ostentatious yung magiging celebration of the 30th anniversary,” he said.</p><p>(We really had to evaluate. We had to do our part in making sure that the 30th anniversary won’t be lavish and ostentatious)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/14/philhealth-says-planned-spending-for-30th-anniversary-reasonable-within-guidelines-1504">PhilHealth says planned spending for 30th anniversary ‘reasonable’, within guidelines</a></div><p>Pargas says that they will respect whatever the result of the evaluation will be.</p><p>“Pero ang ina-assure po natin, kahit po mabigyan kami or maging zero subsidy as proposed by the bicam ay patuloy po tayong magbibigay ng benepisyo sa ating mga miyembro at patuloy rin po nating papalawakin pa ang ating mga benepisyo,” Pargas said.</p><p>(What we assure is whether they give us subsidy or zero subsidy, as proposed by the bicameral committee, we will continue to give services and benefits for our members and we will continue enhancing these benefits)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04TKOIa6XFU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Economist Cielo Magno said Malacañang review is welcome, adding the House and Senate should also reflect on the budget they approved.</p>

Economist Cielo Magno said Malacañang review is welcome, adding the House and Senate should also reflect on the budget they approved.