The House of Representatives’ contingent to the Bicameral Conference Committee warned Tuesday that one million beneficiaries of the Medical Assistance for Indigents and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) would be deprived of much-needed support if the Senate succeeds in cutting its allocation below P49.2 billion in the proposed 2026 national budget.

House Committee on Appropriations Chair Mikaela Suansing raised the alarm amid the divergent stances between the House and the Senate on whether to increase the MAIFIP funding to P51.6 billion, as agreed on on the first day of the Bicam meeting last week.

“In 2025, the number of beneficiaries given the GAA (General Appropriations Act) amount of P41.2 billion was 3.3-million beneficiaries. If the House version (of the MAIFIP 2026 budget) is not adopted, this would reduce the number of beneficiaries by 1.1 million. That’s how strong the potential impact is,” Suansing said, adding that this would particularly hit the poor and disadvantaged.

The P51.6 billion approved by the Bicam was drastically higher than the P24.23 billion endorsed by Malacañang in the National Expenditure Program.

The Senate bicameral contingent reached a compromise with the House, which initially proposed P49.2 billion for the MAIFIP, to significantly increase funding to P51.6 billion, although its proposal was only P29 billion.

The consensus, however, was only in principle and not yet final in the Bicam report. The sharp increase triggered concerns among lawmakers and budget watchdogs, with critics branding it as the new face of “pork” in the health sector, given the discretionary nature of the funds.

The MAIFIP is a program under the Department of Health that provides financial assistance to indigent patients to cover their medical expenses.

Critics said the MAIFIP risks becoming vulnerable to political patronage that rewards influence and connections, but most importantly undermines the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, which limits discretion and guarantees automatic access to medical services.

Lawmakers from both the House and the Senate, who are not members of the Bicam, have strongly objected to the MAIFIP funding increase, and proposed that the budget be realigned directly to the health system or public hospitals.

Contrary to the position of her peers, Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson-Meehan asserted that the MAIFIP does not undermine but “strengthens” the implementation of the UHC law by filling critical gaps, such as when insurance coverage, including PhilHealth, is insufficient or unavailable.