State firm Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is reviewing and reprioritizing its budget proposals for programs for children with special needs, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for greater support for them in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA).

PhilHealth president Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho said the agency is currently reviewing its budget proposals ahead of the hearings scheduled on 20 September.

Ho said the review includes aligning PhilHealth’s proposed budget with the government’s shared agenda and priorities, including those laid out by the President.

“We have to review the budget proposals prior to our hearings on 20 September,” Ho said in an interview.

“Generally, we have to reprioritize, considering now the shared agenda and shared priorities,” she added.

Likewise, Ho said they will be working with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, along with professionals, for the outreach program.

She said DepEd, for one, has its own area for therapy sessions; thus, they will conduct the program systematically for the special children.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has mentioned programs for children with special needs in his SoNA, calling for stronger government support for their health and development.

Expanded assistance

The President announced a major expansion of government medical and financial assistance for children with special needs and developmental disabilities during his fifth State of the Nation Address.