Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday, July 19 vowed to look into the legality of the purported transfer of around P90-billion worth of funds representing unused government subsidy for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) back to the National Treasury.
Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health said that as part of the oversight functions on the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law, he will be seeking answers from PhilHealth, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Health (DOH) on the propriety and legality of the transfer such “excess” funds which is supposed to help finance the government’s health programs
“Simple lang naman ang mga tanong ng mga kababayan natin: tama at legal ba ang ginawa ng DOF at PhilHealth? Kung oo, saan naman ito gagamitin (The people’s question is simple: was it legal or right for DOF and PhilHealth to do that? If yes, where will the funds be used)?” Go asked.
In the first place, Go it is imperative for PhilHealth to answer why it has almost P90 billion unused funds when it should have utilized the money to expand its services.
“Ako naman bilang senador na prayoridad ang kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino, ang aking pangunahing concern dito: Bakit may P90 Billion na excess funds ang PhilHealth na hindi nagamit para mas palawakin at palakasin pa ang benefit packages na makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan (As a senator whose priority is the health of each Filipino, my primary concern was, Why was there P90-billion worth of excess funds in PhilHealth that was not used to expand and strengthen the benefit packages that can help our people)?” he pointed out.
“Hindi katanggap-tanggap na may pondong nand’yan na hindi nagamit para matulungan ang bawat Pilipinong miyembro naman ng PhilHealth (It is unacceptable that there are funds there that have not been used to help every Filipino member of PhilHealth),” he lamented.
Go said it is important for the Executive department to explain as to why PhilHealth has “excess funds” while many patients still do not have any access to proper health care.
“Maraming pasyente still pa rin ang naghihingalo at walang pambayad ng kanilang pagpapaospital o pampagamot. Bakit hindi ito nagamit para tulungan sila (Many patients are still dying and there is no payment for their hospitalization or treatment. Why wasn’t it used to help them)?” Go pointed out.
“Ngayon na ibabalik ‘yang pondong ‘yan sa national treasury, para sa akin, unang-una, dapat hindi ito masayang. Pangalawa, dapat ang makabenepisyo pa rin diyan ay ang taumbayan, lalo na ang mga mahihirap at may sakit (Now that that fund will be returned to the national treasury, for me, first of all, it should not be wasted. Second, the people who must still benefit from that should be the people, especially the poor and the sick),” the senator reiterated.
As far as he is concerned, Go said the fund should have been utilized to pay healthcare workers who still have yet to receive their health emergency allowance (HEA) benefits for serving during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The funds, he said, should also be used for the proper implementation of the Universal Health Care Law where every Filipino is made a member of PhilHealth.
It can also be used for the Malasakit Centers Law which actually makes PhilHealth part of the agencies mandated to provide medical assistance, and also for the expansion especially PhilHealth consultation package.
Sariwa pa sa isip natin ang hamon noong pandemya kung saan nabigla tayo at nakita ang mga butas sa ating healthcare system. At hanggang ngayon, madaming ospital pa rin ang lumalapit sa akin kasi kulang daw ang kagamitan nila at hindi maayos ang mga pasilidad (The challenge during the pandemic where we were shocked and saw the holes in our healthcare system is still fresh in our minds. And until now, many hospitals still approach me because they say they lack equipment and the facilities are not in good condition),” he said
“Marami pa ring health workers ang naniningil ng kanilang HEA. At higit sa lahat, marami pa ring pasyente ang nagmamakaawa na makakuha ng tulong pampagamot (Many health workers still charge their HEA. And above all, many patients are still begging to get medical help),” he pointed out.
“Pera naman ng taumbayan ‘yan na originally intended for healthcare. Kaya siguraduhin nating bawat piso riyan ay makasalba man lang ng buhay. Tandaan natin na ang kalusugan ay katumbas ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino (It’s the people’s money that was originally intended for healthcare. So let’s make sure that every penny of that can at least save a life. Let’s remember that health is equal to the life of every Filipino),” Go emphasized.
