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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PhilHealth still has P500B chest fund for health services—Ledesma

PhilHealth still has P500B chest fund for health services—Ledesma

Published Jul 30, 2024 07:18 am

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) still has P500-billion in its chest fund that it can use dedicatedly for the improvement of its health packages for the benefit of its members.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Rufino Ledesma Jr. made this assurance during the Senate Committee on Health and Demography’s hearing into the reported transfer of nearly P9-billion worth of excess funds from the PhilHealth to the National Treasury.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate health panel, had inquired into the issue during the hearing on Tuesday, July 30, attended by heads of the PhilHealth and Departments of Finance (DOF) and the Budget and Management (DBM).

But Ledesma said that despite the recent move of the Executive department to transfer P89.9-billion of PhilHealth funds, “there’s still a remaining P500-billion” with the state health insurance agency.

“I just want to reiterate what DOF Secretary Ralph Recto said, that aside from the P90-billion, there’s still a remaining P500-billion with PhilHealth,” Ledesma told senators during the hearing.

“So it doesn’t mean that if we lost P90-billion, PhilHealth no longer have funds. We still have a remaining P500-billion,” the PhilHealth chief added.

The P500-billion, Ledesma said, is lodged in their cash and investment funds.

Asked by Go if there is a chance the said amount could also be “swept” by the Executive Department and remitted to the National Treasury, the PhilHealth official said no.

“Hindi po, prinomise po ni Secretary Ralph na (No, Secretary Ralph promised that) this is just a one time, one year aberration po. Hindi na po mangyayari po ulit (It won’t happen again),” he said.

Recto, during the hearing, assured lawmakers that the move to sweep government-owned and controlled corporations’ (GOCCs) of idle funds is merely adhering to Congress’ order under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and thus, the benefits and contributions of PhilHealth members will remain untouched.

The projects to be financed by the excess funds will also create more jobs and accelerate the country’s economic growth.

Recto also said state economic managers were also advised not to touch the funds that the government is prohibited to touch under the Universal Health Care Act.

“Nakipag-ugnayan rin kami sa GCG (Government Commission for GOCCs) at sa abogado ng mga GOCCs—ang OGCC. At mayroon kaming nakalap na mga pabor na legal opinion galing sa OGCC (Office of the Government Corporate Counsel) at COA (Commission on Audit) (We have coordinated with the GCG and the lawyer of GOCCs—the OGCC. And we received favorable legal opinion from the OGCC,” Recto told the Senate panel.

“Kami ay naabisuhan na hindi kasama ang subject PhilHealth remittance sa mga pondong ipinagbabawal na gamiting ng gobyerno ayon sa Universal Health Care Act (We were advised that the subject PhilHealth remittances are not part of the funds that the government is allowed to touch under the Universal Health Care Law),” the finance chief explained.

Recto, likewise, affirmed that the transfer of the unutilized PhilHealth funds is allowed under the 2024 GAA: “Tumatalima lang kami sa batas na pinagtibay niyo (We are only adhering to the law that you have adopted and strengthened).”

Recto further said that the unutilized government subsidies to PhilHealth will be used to finance the projects under the list of Unprogrammed Appropriations and these include paying the unpaid Covid allowances for frontliners, key infrastructure projects, and the latest tranche of salary increases for state workers.

Other projects and programs that are identified under the Unprogrammed Appropriations include: the Davao City By-Pass Construction Project; Samal Island Davao City Connector Project; Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges; Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project; Metro Manila Subway Project; Salary Standardization 6.

“Doon lang po maaring dalhin ang pondo—walang labis, walang kulang (We will use the funds just for that—nothing more, nothing less),” Recto said.

Related Tags

Bong Go philhealth contribution PhilHealth Senate Committee on Health and Demography Emmanuel Ledesma Jr.
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