Go decries zero budget allocation for PhilHealth
SEN. Bong Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, voiced strong reservations to the bicameral conference committee report for the 2025 national budget. In his appearance on the Senate floor on Wednesday, during the ratification of the bicam report, Go said he refrained from immediately signing it because he wanted to review the details concerning the reconciled budget first. "Why am I signing a document without knowing the details?" he said. "Similar to the position of Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, I have to check the details first before signing. I haven't even read the whole thing. The report is just shown to everyone tomorrow," he said. Go questioned a few provisions, particularly the removal of the proposed budget for PhilHealth. He criticized the decision to allocate zero funding to PhilHealth, and emphasized that health should remain a top priority. "I just want to manifest my strong reservations about some of the provisions of the bicameral conference committee report, which I find unacceptable," said Go. "I don't know where the P74 billion that should have gone for PhilHealth or health went," he said. "If the budget for PhilHealth is cut because its benefits are insufficient, it should be given to health programs. It should not be given to others." Go noted that lessons from the pandemic underscore the need for sustained investment in health care. "It is equal to the life of every Filipino. So, we must recognize the priority of health," the senator said. "While we acknowledge that PhilHealth still has billions in reserve funds, they said it's P500 billion, as discovered and discussed in five hearings conducted by the Committee on Health, subsidy from the national government may still be needed to implement necessary reforms and improvements in its benefit packages," Go said. He warned that insufficient funding would adversely impact vulnerable sectors. "Don't go for zero budget! In the end, poor patients will be the ones who will suffer," Go said. Go had in the past months urged PhilHealth to expand its benefit packages, especially for the top 10 mortality diseases, increase case rates, scrap restrictive policies like the 24-hour confinement policy, and cover additional services like dental, optometric, and assistive devices. "Let's give PhilHealth a proper and sufficient budget and encourage PhilHealth to maximize the use of its funds for their health-related programs and services," he said.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
SEN. Bong Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, voiced strong reservations to the bicameral conference committee report for the 2025 national budget.
In his appearance on the Senate floor on Wednesday, during the ratification of the bicam report, Go said he refrained from immediately signing it because he wanted to review the details concerning the reconciled budget first.
"Why am I signing a document without knowing the details?" he said.
"Similar to the position of Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, I have to check the details first before signing. I haven't even read the whole thing. The report is just shown to everyone tomorrow," he said.
Go questioned a few provisions, particularly the removal of the proposed budget for PhilHealth.
He criticized the decision to allocate zero funding to PhilHealth, and emphasized that health should remain a top priority.
"I just want to manifest my strong reservations about some of the provisions of the bicameral conference committee report, which I find unacceptable," said Go.
"I don't know where the P74 billion that should have gone for PhilHealth or health went," he said. "If the budget for PhilHealth is cut because its benefits are insufficient, it should be given to health programs. It should not be given to others."
Go noted that lessons from the pandemic underscore the need for sustained investment in health care.
"It is equal to the life of every Filipino. So, we must recognize the priority of health," the senator said.
"While we acknowledge that PhilHealth still has billions in reserve funds, they said it's P500 billion, as discovered and discussed in five hearings conducted by the Committee on Health, subsidy from the national government may still be needed to implement necessary reforms and improvements in its benefit packages," Go said.
He warned that insufficient funding would adversely impact vulnerable sectors.
"Don't go for zero budget! In the end, poor patients will be the ones who will suffer," Go said.
Go had in the past months urged PhilHealth to expand its benefit packages, especially for the top 10 mortality diseases, increase case rates, scrap restrictive policies like the 24-hour confinement policy, and cover additional services like dental, optometric, and assistive devices.
"Let's give PhilHealth a proper and sufficient budget and encourage PhilHealth to maximize the use of its funds for their health-related programs and services," he said.
