Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay said the government has enough funds to improve health care services, but poor utilization continues to hinder real progress.

“If we’re being honest, the money is there. The problem is, it’s not being used properly,” Binay said in a recent interview on Net 25 radio.

She pointed to underutilized resources like PhilHealth funds, revenues from the sin tax, and continuing appropriations that are regularly funded but often left unspent.

“These are the things we need to look into in the Senate. Sure, resources are limited — but the money does exist. The key is figuring out how to use it wisely so we can provide better services, especially in healthcare,” Binay said.

She also reiterated her proposal to reallocate some funds from aid programs like AICS and AKAP toward providing free maintenance medicines to beneficiaries — rather than just giving out cash.

“At least with medicines, we know exactly where the help is going. People need medicine, not just money,” she explained.

Binay also pushed for legislative reforms to make it easier to pursue Public-Private Partnership projects, especially in health services. She cited Makati’s successful PPP initiatives as a model that could work for other local governments.