Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- A lawmaker proposed on Thursday to realign a portion of the proposed 2026 funds for flood control projects to the Department of Health in order to make outpatient services in government hospitals free of charge.ACT Teachers Party List Rep. Antonio Tinio issued the statement during the DOH’s budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Thursday.Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said health economists previously estimated that to fully implement the Universal Healthcare Act, annual budget for the DOH should be at around P450 billion. The proposed budget for the DOH and its attached agencies next year is P320.5 billion.“Magkano ang kailangan para maging totally libre sa mga government hospital pati ‘yung outpatient? Yun ang mabigat. Hindi lang naman ‘yung mga na-admit sa ward,” Tinio asked.“Siguro another P100 billion could actually help,” Herbosa replied.“Kasi to my mind P120 billion is doable in the current budget, given na ang flood control ay P250 billion proposed. Kung ilalagay ito, libre na ang outpatient sa government hospitals, napakalaking ginhawa po ito sa mamamayang Pilipino,” Tinio said.“’Yung flood control na taun-taon ay ganoon kalaki ang inilalaan, pero alam nyo na, di ba? Kaya magpropose kayo. Ngayon ang pagkakataon. Lalo pa at under scrutiny po ang napakalaking pondo na nilalagay sa infrastructure na hindi pinapakinabangan ng taumbayan. May nakikinabang, pero hindi ang taumbayan,” he added.“We will comply. We will submit to your office,” Herbosa replied.Out-of-pocket medical expenses of Filipinos are at 60%, still far from the ideal 20%, the DOH admitted. Asked about how to reduce this, Herbosa said budget for health should be increased.“Kailan niyo po masasabi sa amin na magiging fully operational ang Universal Healthcare Law?” Akbayan Party List Chel Diokno asked.“Ang parameters po, Mr. Chair, is that at least ‘yung out of pocket expenses ng citizens bumaba to only 20%. Ngayon po nasa 60% pa ang sa Filipino according to the PIDS studies. I&#x27;m hoping na kahit pagbaba ko in three years, mapababa ko to at maakyat ko ‘yung government side, government expenditure to up to 70%. Nasa 41% pa lang po tayo. And we can do this by increasing PhilHealth reimbursements, increase ‘yung mga pay rates nila, increasing the budget of DOH,” Herbosa replied.“Ang tanong ko po ay hindi naman hope kundi ay specific goal. Does the DOH have any one-year, three-year, five-year plan or targets to bring that figure down?” Diokno inquired further.“Mino-monitor po ‘yung ating expenditure sa health ng Philippine National Health Accounts, and I think bumababa na ‘yung ating out of pocket expenses. So we&#x27;re getting some success. The figure is two percentage points. I wish that it would be higher but with the efforts we&#x27;ve put itong zero balance, I think the next report will show bigger numbers of decrease in out of pocket expenditure,” Herbosa answered.Of the proposed P320.5 billion budget for the DOH next year, P53.3 billion is allocated for PhilHealth subsidy, P121.7 billion for DOH hospitals and health facilities, and P24.2 billion for medical assistance for indigent and financially incapacitated payments to complement PhilHealth coverage.

A lawmaker proposed on Thursday to realign a portion of the proposed 2026 funds for flood control projects to the Department of Health in order to make outpatient services in government hospitals free of charge.

A lawmaker proposed on Thursday to realign a portion of the proposed 2026 funds for flood control projects to the Department of Health in order to make outpatient services in government hospitals free of charge.

Lawmaker eyes realigning proposed 2026 flood control funds to DOH

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Lawmaker eyes realigning proposed 2026 flood control funds to DOH

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 04, 2025 06:18 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Antonio Tinio

ACT Teachers

DOH

Department of Health

2025 budget

flood control programs

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