THE House of Representatives has significantly boosted funding for the health sector in its version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), raising total health spending to ₱411.2 billion to expand PhilHealth benefits and fully support zero-balance billing for indigent patients in government hospitals.
House Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing announced on Saturday that the House added ₱90.8 billion to the health sector allocation in its version of the spending measure, underscoring the commitment of the House to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Filipinos.
“With the ₱60 billion added by the House, the total subsidy for PhilHealth increases to ₱113 billion, geared towards the improvement of benefits,” Suansing said during bicameral budget deliberations.
She added that the House version of the GAB also provides an additional ₱25 billion for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), bringing its total funding to ₱49.2 billion.
“This is meant to actualize the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to provide zero balance billing for indigent patients in government hospitals,” Suansing said.
The expanded PhilHealth subsidy under the House version of the GAB is intended to strengthen benefit packages and reduce out-of-pocket expenses, particularly for low-income families that are most vulnerable to health-related costs.
Suansing said the combination of increased PhilHealth funding and higher MAIFIP allocations is designed to close long-standing gaps in healthcare financing and ensure that public hospitals can deliver services without passing costs on to indigent patients.
The House emphasized that the health sector allocations in its version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill align with the administration’s social protection priorities and are aimed at delivering concrete improvements in healthcare access and outcomes.
As bicameral deliberations continue, the House panel said it will work with the Senate to ensure that the final version of the 2026 General Appropriations Act retains the enhanced health sector funding and advances the goal of universal, affordable healthcare for Filipinos.
