MANILA, Philippines — The government subsidies to state-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in the first six months reached P14.162 billion, 90 percent higher compared with P7.463 billion in the same period last year.

Data from the Bureau of Treasury released over the weekend showed that at end-June, bulk of government’s financial aid was distributed to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), National Food Authority (NFA), and National Power Corporation (NPC).

PhilHealth, which is mandated to provide adequate and affordable social health insurance coverage for all Filipinos, received P5.069 billion from the national government during the period.

The state subsidy given to PhilHealth had partially fulfilled the P6.5 billion unpaid health insurance premiums of indigents from 2007 to last year.

The cash-strapped NFA, meanwhile, received P2.5 billion in subsidies in the first semester of the year, while NPC was aided by the P2 billion it got from the national government.

The finance department has been attempting to reduce subsidies in favor of equity infusions because higher subsidies run counter to its goal of making all state-firms to be self-reliant and less dependent on financial assistance from the government.

For years, the departments of budget and finance have been releasing subsidies to GOCCs and government financial institutions despite the country’s fiscal deficit position. These subsidies are released to corporations with depleted capitalization.

Other billion peso recipients of state subsidies in the first semester of the year were National Housing Authority with P1.612 billion and National Livelihood Development Corporation with P1.291 billion.

State-firms that, likewise, received subsidies from the government were Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Cottage Industry Technology Center, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, and Local Water Utilities Administration.

Other subsidies went to the Philippine National Railways, National Dairy Authority, National Electrification Administration, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Children's Medical Center, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Southern Philippines Development Authority, Tourism Promotions Board and Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority.