NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Cayetano Fights To Keep P60B PhilHealth Fund For Filipinos' Health
Photo credit: Senate PH
Senator Pia Cayetano is standing firm on one key point: the ₱60 billion returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) must stay in the 2026 national budget.
Cayetano said the fund’s inclusion isn’t just about following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive—it’s also required by law.
“The inclusion of these funds in the budget is not a matter of discretion or politics,” she emphasized. “It’s about compliance with the law.”
The senator explained that the ₱60 billion is already reflected in the House version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, and it’s crucial that the amount remains intact in the final General Appropriations Act.
She pointed to the Universal Health Care Act and the Sin Tax Reform Laws of 2012 and 2019, which mandate that a fixed share of sin tax revenues must go to PhilHealth to fund universal health care. The Constitution, she added, reinforces this by requiring that taxes collected for a special purpose must be used only for that purpose.
“These laws make it clear—funds from sin taxes must go to health,” Cayetano said. “Diverting or withholding them is a violation of the law.”
For her, this isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a moral one. “Keeping the ₱60 billion in the budget is a commitment to our people’s health,” she said. “Every peso invested in healthcare is an investment in the lives and future of Filipinos.”
Cayetano said the fund’s inclusion isn’t just about following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive—it’s also required by law.
“The inclusion of these funds in the budget is not a matter of discretion or politics,” she emphasized. “It’s about compliance with the law.”
The senator explained that the ₱60 billion is already reflected in the House version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, and it’s crucial that the amount remains intact in the final General Appropriations Act.
She pointed to the Universal Health Care Act and the Sin Tax Reform Laws of 2012 and 2019, which mandate that a fixed share of sin tax revenues must go to PhilHealth to fund universal health care. The Constitution, she added, reinforces this by requiring that taxes collected for a special purpose must be used only for that purpose.
“These laws make it clear—funds from sin taxes must go to health,” Cayetano said. “Diverting or withholding them is a violation of the law.”
For her, this isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a moral one. “Keeping the ₱60 billion in the budget is a commitment to our people’s health,” she said. “Every peso invested in healthcare is an investment in the lives and future of Filipinos.”
Nov 4, 2025
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