Legarda welcomes SC ruling restoring PhilHealth funds, presses transparency, stronger health financing

Senator Loren Legarda today welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision directing the government to return the ₱60 billion earlier transferred from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) back to the agency through the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The High Court likewise prohibited any further transfer of the remaining ₱29.9 billion, making the ruling immediately executory.

“This decision is correct and consistent with what we have long fought for—PhilHealth’s funds must remain with PhilHealth. These subsidies exist to protect the Filipino people, not to be diverted elsewhere,” Legarda said.

PhilHealth had originally been instructed to remit a total of ₱89.9 billion in excess funds to the National Treasury. Of this amount, ₱60 billion was already remitted last year before the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), halting the transfer of the remaining ₱29.9 billion. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have since incorporated the restoration of the ₱60 billion into the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) being discussed in the Senate. This was the clarification Legarda underscored during the Senate session on December 4, 2025.

During the same session, Legarda reiterated her longstanding position that Congress has a responsibility to ensure that PhilHealth receives the support it needs to deliver essential health services. She stressed that the allocation under the 2026 NEP remains insufficient and does not comply with the mandated sin tax law.

“Congress owes the Filipino people a properly funded PhilHealth,” Legarda emphasized. “In my interpellation on the General Principles of the 2026 budget, I raised concerns over the gaps in PhilHealth’s appropriations for 2024, 2025, and 2026. We must ask where the funds were originally placed, why they were removed, and how we intend to fully restore them.”

Legarda also underscored the need for transparency and accountability in the use of PhilHealth subsidies. She formally requested PhilHealth and the Department of Health (DOH) to submit detailed liquidation reports to ensure that the restored funds are used efficiently and aligned with the agency’s mandate. “As we restore these amounts, we must also demand full transparency,” Legarda said. “I asked PhilHealth and the DOH to account for these funds so that we can determine how the restored budget will genuinely benefit our people.”

Building on this, Legarda reiterated that accountability must go hand in hand with adequate and reliable funding. She called for the full restoration of all funding deficits across all sources, including earmarked revenues from sin taxes, PAGCOR, and PCSO, which have accumulated over the years.

A long-time advocate for accessible and high-quality healthcare, Legarda reaffirmed her commitment to protecting the financial stability of PhilHealth and ensuring that its resources directly support Filipino families, especially the most vulnerable.

“Health care is not a privilege; it is a right. Every peso intended for the people’s health must be safeguarded,” she said. (30)

Legarda suportado ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema sa pagbabalik ng pondo ng PhilHealth; iginiit ang Transparency, matatag na pagpopondo para sa kalusugan

Suportado ni Senadora Loren Legarda ang naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema na nag-aatas sa pamahalaan na ibalik ang ₱60 bilyon na naunang nailipat mula sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) pabalik sa ahensya sa pamamagitan ng 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Kasabay nito, ipinagbawal ng Korte Suprema ang karagdagang paglilipat ng natitirang ₱29.9 bilyon, na agad na ipinatutupad.

“Tama ang desisyong ito at kaayon ng matagal na nating ipinaglaban—ang pondo ng PhilHealth ay dapat manatili sa PhilHealth. Ang mga subsidyo ay umiiral upang protektahan ang sambayanang Pilipino, hindi upang ilihis sa ibang layunin,” pahayag ni Legarda.

Orihinal na inatasan ang PhilHealth na mag-remit ng kabuuang ₱89.9 bilyon sa National Treasury. Sa halagang ito, ₱60 bilyon ang nailipat noong nakaraang taon bago maglabas ng temporary restraining order (TRO) ang Korte Suprema na pumigil sa paglilipat ng natitirang ₱29.9 bilyon. Mula noon, parehong Kamara at Senado ang nagsama ng probisyon para sa pagbabalik ng ₱60 bilyon sa 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) na tinatalakay sa Senado. Ito ang binigyang-diin ni Legarda sa sesyon ng Senado noong Disyembre 4, 2025.

Sa parehong sesyon, muling iginiit ni Legarda na tungkulin ng Kongreso na tiyakin ang sapat na suporta sa PhilHealth upang maihatid ang pangunahing serbisyong pangkalusugan. Binanggit niya na nananatiling kulang ang alokasyon sa ilalim ng 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) at hindi ito tumatalima sa itinatadhana ng batas sa sin tax.

“Kongreso ang may pananagutan sa taumbayan na tiyakin ang maayos na pondo ng PhilHealth,” diin ni Legarda. “Sa aking interpelasyon sa General Principles ng 2026 budget, binigyang-pansin ko ang kakulangan sa pondo ng PhilHealth para sa 2024, 2025, at 2026. Kailangang itanong kung saan inilagay ang mga pondo, bakit ito inalis, at paano natin ito ganap na maibabalik.”

Binigyang-diin din ni Legarda ang pangangailangan ng transparency at accountability sa paggamit ng mga subsidyo ng PhilHealth. Pormal niyang hiniling sa PhilHealth at Department of Health (DOH) na magsumite ng detalyadong liquidation reports upang matiyak na ang ibinalik na pondo ay magagamit nang mahusay at naaayon sa mandato ng ahensya. “Habang ibinabalik natin ang mga halagang ito, dapat din nating hingin ang ganap na transparency,” ani Legarda. “Hiniling ko sa PhilHealth at DOH na ipaliwanag ang paggamit ng mga pondong ito upang matiyak na tunay na makikinabang ang ating mga kababayan.”

Dagdag pa rito, iginiit ni Legarda na ang accountability ay dapat sabayan ng sapat at maaasahang pondo. Nanawagan siya sa ganap na pagbabalik ng lahat ng kakulangan sa pondo mula sa iba’t ibang pinagkukunan, kabilang ang earmarked revenues mula sa sin taxes, PAGCOR, at PCSO na naipon sa mga nakaraang taon.

Bilang matagal nang tagapagtaguyod ng abot-kaya at dekalidad na serbisyong pangkalusugan, muling pinagtibay ni Legarda ang kanyang paninindigan na protektahan ang katatagan ng pananalapi ng PhilHealth at tiyakin na ang mga yaman nito ay direktang nakikinabang sa mga pamilyang Pilipino, lalo na ang mga pinaka-nangangailangan.

“Ang kalusugan ay hindi pribilehiyo; ito ay karapatan. Bawat pisong nakalaan para sa kalusugan ng taumbayan ay dapat pangalagaan,” pagtatapos ni Legarda. (30)