The P60 billion ordered returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must be retained in the 2026 national budget, Senator Pia Cayetano said Tuesday, stressing that the move is not only in line with the President’s directive but also mandated by law.

Cayetano said the amount is already included in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) approved by the House of Representatives and she emphasized that it should remain in the final version of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“The inclusion of these funds in the budget is not a matter of discretion or politics; it is a matter of compliance with the law,” she said.

“We must ensure that this directive is not left to pronouncements alone but enforced through the budget process, with every peso serving the health needs of our people,” she added.

The senator cited the Universal Health Care Act and the Sin Tax Reform Laws of 2012 and 2019, which earmark a fixed share of sin tax revenues for PhilHealth to fund universal health care programs.

She said these legal provisions are reinforced by Article VI, Section 29 (3) of the Constitution, which mandates that taxes collected for a special purpose be used solely for that purpose.

“These laws make it clear that funds from sin taxes must go to health. Diverting or withholding them is a violation of the law,” Cayetano said. “Keeping the P60 billion in the GAA is not optional; it is a legal and moral obligation to the Filipino people.”

The senator also underscored the importance of supporting PhilHealth’s mandate through adequate funding.

“Our goal should always be to strengthen PhilHealth’s capacity to deliver on its mandate,” she said. “Every peso invested in health care is an investment in the lives and future of our people.”