Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to fully carry out its mandate, citing increased funding for key health programs under the proposed 2026 national budget.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, said Congress has already completed its task of allocating funds, including higher budgets for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and zero balance billing.

“Ang challenge sa DOH, kay Secretary Ted Herbosa, paganahin niya lahat to dahil tapos na trabaho ng Kongreso sa paglalaan ng pondo (The challenge to the DOH, to Secretary Ted Herbosa, is to make all of this work, since Congress has already finished its job of allocating the funds),” Gatchalian said in a radio interview.

In response, the DOH welcomed the senator’s call and said it is ready to implement the programs once clear guidelines are in place. DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said implementation must follow established rules and policies, adding that lawmakers are expected to provide oversight during the rollout of funded projects.

“Sang ayon po kami. Hindi naman sa binabalik kay Senator Win pero syempre ang implementation ay susunod sa patakaran, ay susunod dun sa rules at guidelines (We agree. It’s not about passing it back to Senator Win, but of course the implementation will follow the policies, the rules, and the guidelines),” he said. 

Further, both Gatchalian and Domingo called on health advocacy groups to take part in discussions aimed at strengthening the country’s healthcare system. 

Gatchalian said the Senate remains open to working with the DOH and civil society groups to advance a rights-based and rules-based healthcare framework.

Domingo echoed the call, encouraging health groups to participate in coordination efforts to better understand policy details and implementation processes.

The bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget concluded early Thursday after four days of discussions. Both chambers of Congress are targeting ratification of the budget by 29 December.