REPRESENTATIVE Brian Poe of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist expressed his strong support for the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth during recent budget deliberations in Congress, underscoring the agency’s capability to fund expanded medical services for Filipinos.
In his remarks, Rep. Poe thanked DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and his team for their continuing assistance to constituents nationwide:
“A lot of our constituents go to the DOH to ask for help, and more often than not, they are very much accommodated. Kaya nagpapasalamat po ako kay Secretary Herbosa at sa buong DOH,” he said.
Turning to PhilHealth, Rep. Poe inquired about the agency’s financial standing to ensure that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for expanded medical services can be realized. PhilHealth officials reported that as of June 2025, the agency has Php464.9 billion in funds, supported by collections from premium payments and government subsidies.
Rep. Poe emphasized the importance of transparency to counter misconceptions circulating online:
“May mga maling akala na wala talagang pondo ang PhilHealth. Kaya gusto ko pong linawin for the record na Php464.9 billion ang pondo ng PhilHealth sa ngayon. Importante na malaman ng ating mga kababayan na may sapat na pondo para matulungan sila,” he stressed.
PhilHealth officials confirmed both the sufficiency of funds and the agency’s ongoing operations:
“So theoretically po, pwedeng gamitin po yung kabuuan. Kasi’….yun pong provision ng reserve fund sa ating UHC law, ang nakasaad po doon is pag may sumobra lang doon sa ating benefit payment. So kung mag-dedecide po ang board, paluwagin at padagdagan po yung benefit payment, pwede pong gamitin po yung pondo na ‘yun.” a PhilHealth representative explained.
“As of June 2025 po….yung nadadagdag po naming collection galing sa mga premium payment ng direct sector, net of what we paid for in terms of benefit payment, ay nasa Php464.9 billion po. So in fact, medyo tumaas po kasi yung mga payables po namin pumapasok pa lang galing sa mga claims po ng ating hospital,” the official added.
PhilHealth officials further projected a Php350 billion benefit payout for 2026, an 18% increase from the current year, citing expansions such as the YACAP and Z-benefit programs. Despite rising healthcare demands, PhilHealth confirmed it remains financially capable of supporting Filipinos’ medical needs.
Rep. Poe welcomed the assurance, noting that these resources will directly impact his commitment to provide better healthcare services for his constituents:
“I am happy to hear that PhilHealth is confident in funding healthcare packages for the coming years. Importante na malaman ng taumbayan na kaya pa rin nating tugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan,” he said.
The congressman also formally requested a copy of PhilHealth’s updated benefit packages and projections for submission to the Committee and his office, ensuring transparency and accountability in the agency’s operations.
