Senator Loren Legarda on Sunday welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling ordering the government to return P60 billion previously transferred from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) back to the agency through the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), while also pressing for greater transparency and stronger health financing.

The High Court likewise barred the transfer of the remaining P29.9 billion in excess PhilHealth funds, making the ruling immediately executory.

“This decision is correct and consistent with what we have long fought for—PhilHealth’s funds must remain with PhilHealth. These subsidies exist to protect the Filipino people, not to be diverted elsewhere,” Legarda said.

PhilHealth was originally directed to remit P89.9 billion in excess reserves to the National Treasury. Of this, P60 billion had already been transferred last year before the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order halting the movement of the remaining P29.9 billion.

Both chambers of Congress have since moved to restore the P60 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, a clarification Legarda highlighted during the Senate session on 4 December 2025.

During the same session, Legarda reiterated her longstanding position that Congress must ensure PhilHealth receives sufficient resources to deliver essential health services. She noted that the allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program remains inadequate and does not meet the requirements of the sin tax law.

“Congress owes the Filipino people a properly funded PhilHealth,” she said. “In my interpellation on the General Principles of the 2026 budget, I raised concerns over the gaps in PhilHealth’s appropriations for 2024, 2025, and 2026. We must ask where the funds were originally placed, why they were removed, and how we intend to fully restore them.”

Legarda also pressed for full transparency and accountability, saying PhilHealth and the Department of Health must submit detailed liquidation reports to ensure the restored funds are spent efficiently and aligned with the agency’s mandate.

“As we restore these amounts, we must also demand full transparency,” she said. “I asked PhilHealth and the DOH to account for these funds so that we can determine how the restored budget will genuinely benefit our people.”

She further called for the full restoration of funding deficits accumulated over the years across all earmarked revenue sources—including sin taxes, PAGCOR, and PCSO.

A long-time advocate of accessible and quality healthcare, Legarda said she remains committed to protecting the financial stability of PhilHealth.

“Health care is not a privilege; it is a right. Every peso intended for the people’s health must be safeguarded,” she added.