The Department of Health (DOH) was surprised to learn during a recent House inquiry that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has a total of ₱755 billion in available funds.
DOH spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo disclosed the figures during a radio interview on Thursday, Jan. 16, detailing multiple funding sources previously unaccounted for in their calculations.
“So noong naglista, nagtalaan ngayon ng mga numero, e di andun na yung ₱150 billion na tinatawag na surplus. Tapos mayroon P203 billion na makukolekta mula sa ating mga direct contributors sa taong ito, 2025. And then mayroon tayo yung reserba na ₱280 billion (So when the numbers were listed and recorded, the ₱150 billion referred to as the surplus was already there. Then there is ₱203 billion to be collected from our direct contributors this year, 2025. And then we also have a reserve of ₱280 billion),” Domingo said.
The DOH said it initially thought this was the full amount until additional details surfaced during the hearing.
“Ngayon dito kami medyo nagulat kasi hindi namin na-realize may ganoon pala (Now, we were somewhat surprised because we didn’t realize there was something like that),” he admitted.
More funds
Domingo said that a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) representative further revealed more funds of the PhilHealth during the inquiry.
“‘Yung DBM ngayon nandun po, may DBM representative nagsalita po si director. Ang sabi niya, mayroon pa palang ₱80 billion na unfunded allotment. Ibig sabihin po meron na nga tawag ng DBM ‘yung SARO, may release order na inaantay nilang notice of cash allotment or yung NCA (The DBM was there, and a DBM representative, the director, spoke. He said there is still ₱80 billion in unfunded allotments. This means the DBM has what they call the SARO, or Special Allotment Release Order, but they are still waiting for the Notice of Cash Allotment or the NCA),” Domingo explained.
In addition to the ₱80 billion unfunded allotment, other sources of funds include ₱21 billion in unreleased appropriations mandated by the UHC law, expected contributions from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and ₱21 billion in investment income.
“So sumatotal, kapag dinagdag natin lahat ng mga numero na ‘yun, nasa ₱755 billion (So in total, when we add up all those figures, it amounts to ₱755 billion),” Domingo said.
Reserve funds for emergencies
The DOH spokesperson clarified that reserve funds under PhilHealth and the UHC law are specifically designated for emergency situations and cannot exceed a prescribed ceiling.
“Kasi doon sa charter ng PhilHealth at Universal Health Care Act, ang nakalagay na termino doon sa reserba ay ceiling, bubong (Because in the charter of PhilHealth and the Universal Health Care Act, the term used for the reserve is ‘ceiling’ or ‘cap’),” Domingo explained.
“Ibig sabihin, hindi puwedeng lumampas. Pero theoretically, kung kailangang gamitin sa anumang dahilan, puwedeng gamitin (This means it cannot exceed the limit. But theoretically, if it needs to be used for any reason, it can be utilized),” he added.
The reserve, Domingo said, is meant to cover extraordinary situations such as wars, pandemics, or other national crises.
“Halimbawa, pagbiglang magkaroon ng giyera, magkaroon ng panibagong pandemya o anumang ganong kalalang bagay, pwede tayong patakbo ng PhilHealth ng mga ospital. Bayaran yung mga ospital ng dalawang taon at current rates. ‘Yun yung purpose ng reserba (For example, in case of a sudden war, a new pandemic, or any similarly severe situation, PhilHealth can operate hospitals and pay them for two years at current rates. That is the purpose of the reserve),” he said.
According to Domingo, PhilHealth has outstanding payables amounting to ₱80.6 billion to different hospitals, with ₱21 billion in “good claims” set to be disbursed soon.
Earlier, President Marcos directed the health department to guarantee the continuous delivery of PhilHealth benefits, emphasizing that the agency’s zero government subsidy for this year must not hinder the provision of healthcare services.