“Bawat piso po ay napakahalaga!”

This was the response of Senate Committee on Health Chairperson Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as he closed the July 30 Senate hearing on the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, or Republic Act No. 11223.

Go made the remarks after securing a commitment from Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) CEO and President Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. that he will immediately recommend to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. the reduction of premium rate contributions of members in light of revelations of around P500 billion PhilHealth Reserve Fund and the transfer of the P90 billion excess government subsidy for PhilHealth to the National Treasury.

“Mabigat po ‘yung kontribusyon na iyan tapos makikita (ng members) may natitira pang balanse ang PhilHealth,” Senator Go noted.

In his opening statement, Senator Go asked PhilHealth to suspend the implementation of its 5% increase in the premium contribution, which took effect starting January 1, 2024.

“At kung sobra naman ang pera ninyo (PhilHealth), huwag ninyo na lang muna kolektahan ang mga OFWs natin o huwag muna i-implement yung pagtataas ng contributions para sa mga direct contributors,” Senator Go said adding that at the height the COVID-19 pandemic there was a deferment of PhilHealth premium hike.

Senator Go is also a co-author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2620 which adjusts premium contribution rates and mandates that unpaid contributions of distressed migrant workers should not be collected upon their return to the country.

In 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte ordered PhilHealth to defer the scheduled increase in the premium contributions for that year after Senator Go had appealed to government finance managers and fellow legislators to highly consider the deferment.

Senator Go, popularly known as Mr. Malasakit because of his empathy towards poor and disadvantaged Filipinos, has expressed his concern with inflation, or the spiraling increase in the prices of goods and services, including health services; and this is where PhilHealth plays a vital role.

“Huwag natin pahirapan ang ating mga kababayan. Pera naman nila ito. Ibalik lang natin sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng mas mabilis at mas maayos na serbisyo,” the lawmaker from Davao City said.

As guardian of public health, Senator Go has raised on numerous occasions the issue of PhilHealth’s unutilized funds, questioning why resources meant to assist sick Filipinos were left unused.

“Hindi po katanggap-tanggap na may pondong nandyan na hindi nagamit para matulungan ang bawat Pilipinong miyembro naman ng PhilHealth.”

Part of the Senate inquiry aims to seek an explanation from the Executive on the unutilized funds of PhilHealth while many patients are struggling to pay for hospitalization and medical bills.