Senator Christopher “Bong” Go questioned government officials on why more than 800,000 indigent senior citizens remain on a waitlist for social pensions, despite Congress allocating P49.8 billion for the program in 2025.
During a Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing on the proposed 2026 national budget, Go expressed his frustration. He is a co-author of a law that increased the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens from P500 to P1,000.
“How many Filipinos could have been saved with the funds used for other priorities that should have been for health,” Go said, asking why the waitlisted seniors were not included in the 2026 budget proposal, which again allocates P49.8 billion.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the agency merely followed the request from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Go responded by urging officials to find a way to fund the waitlisted beneficiaries, suggesting that money could be sourced from other government programs.
The lawmaker also raised concerns about the fate of billions of pesos in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) funds, asking DBM officials about contingency plans should the Supreme Court order the return of P60 billion that was transferred to the national treasury last year.
“What is your plan for this in case the Supreme Court decides to return the P60 billion?” he asked.
Pangandaman said the issue rests on the Supreme Court’s decision and that any adjustments to the budget would have to be considered for 2027 unless Congress files a supplemental budget.
Go said he believes the excess funds existed only because PhilHealth was late in implementing reforms, such as increasing case rates and expanding benefit packages. He stressed that PhilHealth funds should be used for health, not other government priorities.
“PhilHealth is for health. It is not a business that needs to grow. It should be used for patients,” Go said.
He reminded Budget officials that under existing laws, revenue from excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sweetened beverages must be used exclusively for PhilHealth.