Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday, 4 September, expressed support for the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Health (DoH) and its attached agencies while calling for increased funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expand benefit coverage and reduce patients’ out-of-pocket medical expenses.

During the Senate hearing on the proposed health budget, Go said government spending on healthcare should be viewed as an investment in the lives and welfare of Filipinos.

“I would like to place on record that I support the budget of the Department of Health and its attached agencies and corporations. The health budget is important because it is an investment in our people,” Go said.

“Health is wealth. Health is the equivalent of life for every Filipino. Many Filipinos need medical assistance, and the government must respond to that need,” he added.

The proposed 2027 health-sector budget has come under scrutiny after the DoH and its attached agencies sought substantially more funding than what the National Expenditure Program included.

P370B sought

PhilHealth, for instance, initially sought about P370 billion to sustain expanded benefits but was allocated only P74.448 billion in the NEP.

Go said the country remains far from fully realizing the promise of Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act.

“We are still very far from the full implementation of Universal Health Care,” he said.

He said PhilHealth should maximize its resources for patients rather than letting funds accumulate while Filipinos continue to struggle with hospital bills.

Go cited reforms that followed sustained Senate oversight, including increases in PhilHealth case rates and the introduction of new benefit packages covering dental services, optometric care, and emergency outpatient services.

He also recalled removing policies he had repeatedly criticized as burdensome to poor patients, including the Single Period of Confinement rule and the 24-hour confinement requirement.