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PhilHealth Holds P311B in Unreleased State Funds, Lawmaker Reveals
A Philippine congressman has revealed that approximately P311 billion in state funds allocated to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) remain unreleased. The disclosure came during the deliberation of the 2027 health sector budget, highlighting concerns over unreleased obligatory funds from sources like sin taxes.
Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia revealed on Thursday that approximately P311 billion in state funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) remains unreleased. Garcia made the disclosure while sponsoring the health sector's spending plan for 2027 during a congressional budget debate. He stated that P199.44 billion in obligatory funding from sin tax collections and other revenues are among the unreleased funds. This significant amount of unreleased funding raises questions about PhilHealth's financial management and its capacity to effectively deliver healthcare services to the public, especially amid rising medical costs. PhilHealth has faced scrutiny in the past regarding its financial operations and claims processing. The lawmaker's revelation is expected to intensify oversight on the corporation's fund utilization and management systems. The Philippines aims to provide healthcare coverage to all its citizens, including Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), with PhilHealth at the forefront of this initiative. The existence of unreleased funds could impact the sustainability of the program and public trust. Information Source: Inquirer NewsInfo
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Inquirer NewsInfo