Remove the poor’s medical ‘soft pork’

The President can achieve a “medical miracle” if he removes the “soft pork,” or politician referrals, before the poor man can get medical attention. The poor would prefer funding that goes directly to the hospital instead of through bureaucratic hurdles.

Consider the “soft pork mentality” of legislators a thing of the past. Never again should we revive the humiliating practice of requiring the poor to form long lines only to be told at the end of the office day to come back the next day, to again join the long line very early in the morning for a chance to be given the contemptibly scant funding for his health care.

To achieve a “medical miracle” that consolidates the public trust and truly serves the Filipino people, the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) must move beyond budgetary announcements and tackle the deep-seated, structured inefficiencies of the Philippine health system.

As of early this year, the administration has set the stage with a record-high, “people-oriented” 2026 health budget of P549 billion, focusing on infrastructure and expanding PhilHealth coverage.

However, to secure a genuine turnaround, the following actions are necessary:

1. Move from Soft Pork to Transparent Service: Critics note that substantial portions of the health budget—such as the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financial Incapacitated Patients

(MAIFIP)---are “soft pork” requiring politician referrals. A “medical miracle” requires eliminating these bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring that the funds go directly to the hospitals, not through political intermediaries.

2. Operationalize Idle Facilities: While the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) has improved thousands of structures, audit reports indicate that many newly built “super health centers” remain non-operational due to lack of staff and equipment. The administration must pivot from just building facilities to staffing and equipping them.

3. Drastically Improve Healthcare Workers’ Welfare: The country faces a shortage of over 290,000 healthcare professionals to meet WHO standards. Simply promising support is insufficient, the administration must urgently address the severe understaffing in public

hospitals and stop relying on contractualization for medical staff.

4. Achieve True Universal Health Coverage (UHC): While PhilHealth has increased benefits, such as enhanced cancer care and dialysis coverage, out-of-pocket spending still accounts for a large share of health expenses. A real turnaround means lowering these costs rather than just expanding insurance coverage on paper.

5. Rebuild Trust in PhilHealth: Following the controversies over the transfer of excess funds to foreign-assisted infrastructure projects, the administration must ensure that PhilHealth funds are used exclusively for health services and managed with absolute transparency.

While the administration has initiated laudable steps like building facilities, especially in rural areas (e.g. Clark), the “miracle” will only be won if the focus shifts from the volume of investments to the impact on the average Filipino’s ability to receive free quality care.

Ralph Recto, serving as Executive Secretary, has been directing the administration’s high-impact programs, including healthcare initiatives, as of this month.

On orders of President Marcos Jr., Recto expanded the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) policy, ensuring that poor Filipinos do not have to pay for services in public hospitals.

Marcos also directed the Department of Health to widen this program to include not only the indigent but also the middle class.

Email: arturobesana2@gmail.com