Bong Go to PhilHealth: ‘Hindi n’yo dapat pinatulog ang pondo, palawakin n’yo dapat ang benepisyo dahil maraming maysakit ang naghihingalo at umaasa sa tulong pampagamot!’

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go reaffirmed his longstanding position that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) must fully utilize its available funds to improve healthcare access for Filipinos, echoing concerns raised by Supreme Court justices regarding the agency’s excess funds.

Speaking at a gathering of barangay officials from Aklan on Thursday, March 6, Senator Go emphasized that healthcare funds should be maximized to benefit patients, not left idle or diverted elsewhere.

“Tugmang-tugma sa mga mungkahi natin noon sa PhilHealth hearings natin ang sinasabi po ngayon ng mga mahistrado. Kaya paalala ko sa PhilHealth, gamitin n’yo po ang pondo—pataasin, pagandahin, at palawakin n’yo ang mga benepisyo at coverage. Expand benefit packages. Matagal ko nang sinabi sa inyo, ‘pag ginastos n’yo ‘yan noon para sa mga pasyente, wala sana ang excess,” he said.

Senator Go's remarks came as Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Kho pressed for the return of PhP 60 billion in excess PhilHealth funds that had been transferred to the National Treasury. During oral arguments, Kho questioned whether PhilHealth had fully considered Congress-allocated subsidies in its budget planning, arguing that surplus funds should have been used to expand member benefits rather than being absorbed into unprogrammed government funds.

Similarly, Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier questioned the logic of transferring unutilized PhilHealth funds to the National Treasury when the projects they were supposedly redirected to—such as the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges project—already had secured financing from other sources.

The Supreme Court had previously issued a temporary restraining order in October 2024 to halt the transfer of PhP 29.9 billion in unused PhilHealth funds, following legal challenges that raised concerns over the impact of these transfers on healthcare accessibility.

As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Go has been vocal in his opposition to the fund transfers since July last year, arguing that they undermine PhilHealth’s ability to deliver healthcare services. During a Senate hearing, he confronted economic managers over what he described as a misplacement of public funds.

In his speech, he reiterated his warning to PhilHealth officials:

"Kung ginamit n’yo sana ‘to expand benefit packages and increase case rates, ilang pasyente na sana ang natulungan at ilang buhay po ang nasaklolo kung ginamit n’yo po ang pondo sa tama at hindi winalis ng National Treasury. Dapat para sa health ‘yan eh. Napakaraming klaseng sakit. Mag-isip kayo ng mga benefit packages para ma-cover n’yo rin po ito,” he said.

Beyond the issue of fund transfers, Senator Go has been pushing PhilHealth to accelerate long-overdue reforms that would make healthcare more accessible to Filipinos. His advocacy was instrumental in the recent scrapping of the Single Period of Confinement (SPC) policy, which previously restricted benefit claims for related illnesses within a short timeframe.

Following this, Senator Go has urged PhilHealth to further refine its policies, particularly the controversial 24-hour confinement rule, which required patients to stay in a hospital for at least a day before qualifying for insurance coverage. PhilHealth officials have addressed this by implementing expanded emergency care benefits.

“Maraming pasyente na kailangang magpagamot pero hindi kayang magtagal sa ospital. Dapat may agarang tulong kahit outpatient lang,” Senator Go said.

PhilHealth has since committed to increasing case rates, expanding benefit packages for the top 10 mortality diseases, and covering free medicines and assistive devices like eyeglasses and wheelchairs. Planned improvements also include coverage for dental, visual, emergency, and preventive care.

Senator Go underscored that these reforms must be implemented without delay, stating:

“Ang bottom line dito, ‘wag n’yo pong patulugin ang pondo kasi napakaraming Pilipino ang naghihingalo, namamatay, walang pambayad sa ospital at takot magpa-ospital. ‘Yan po ang totoo. Hindi pwedeng puro plano lang. Dapat maramdaman agad ng mga Pilipino ang pagbabago at benepisyo na dapat nilang makuha mula sa PhilHealth,” he said.

With the Supreme Court case ongoing, Senator Go vowed to continue monitoring the situation to ensure that PhilHealth funds are used solely for their intended purpose. He reminded government officials that the welfare of Filipinos, particularly the poor, must always come first.

“Unahin natin ang kapakanan ng taumbayan, lalo na ng mga mahihirap. Hinding-hindi sila magkakamali kung inuuna nila ang serbisyo sa tao,” he said.