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Senator Pia S. Cayetano welcomed the return to PhilHealth of the 60 billion pesos, which was previously transferred to the National Treasury, calling it “a victory for health and for the Filipino people”.

This comes as PhilHealth confirmed that the funds have been returned, in line with the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision voiding the transfer of PhilHealth’s supposed excess funds to the national treasury, and directing that PhilHealth funds must be used exclusively for health services.

“This is a victory not for any single individual, but for every Filipino family that depends on PhilHealth for access to medicine, treatment, hospitalization, and preventive care,” Cayetano underscored.

As Senior Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and one of the principal voices during the health budget deliberations, Cayetano repeatedly questioned the removal and transfer of PhilHealth funds throughout the 2025 and 2026 budget discussions, including during plenary debates and Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations.

From the outset, she maintained that the Universal Health Care Act and the Sin Tax laws clearly mandate that these funds be used exclusively by PhilHealth. Cayetano is the principal author and sponsor of the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2020, which raised excise taxes on alcohol and e-cigarette products and mandated the earmarking of a portion of the revenues in support of the implementation of Universal Health Care. During her interpellations, Cayetano highlighted the widening gap between revenues legally earmarked for PhilHealth and the amounts actually transmitted to the agency.

She emphasized that the issue was never merely about accounting or bookkeeping, but about public trust and the State’s obligation to uphold the right to health.

“PhilHealth funds exist for the health of the Filipino people and cannot be used for any other purpose,” Cayetano reiterated. “The law is clear. These funds are meant to strengthen healthcare benefits, improve systems, expand access, and ensure better service delivery for our people.”

“PhilHealth must ensure that these funds are used strictly in accordance with the law – to address the urgent health needs of our people,” Cayetano said. “The SC decision is a clear reminder that healthcare funds are not excess funds. They are lifelines for millions of Filipinos. And the agency has a duty to see that every peso serves its true purpose.”

”Victory for Health and the People” — Ayon kay Sen. Pia tungkol sa Pagbabalik ng Pondo ng PhilHealth

Magandang balita para kay Senador Pia S. Cayetano ang pagbabalik sa PhilHealth ng 60 bilyong piso na dati ay inilipat sa National Treasury, na tinawag niyang “a victory for health and for the Filipino people”.

Ito ay kasunod ng kumpirmasyon ng PhilHealth na naibalik na ang pondo, alinsunod sa naunang desisyon ng Supreme Court (SC) na nagdeklara ng kawalang-bisa sa paglipat ng sinasabing excess funds ng PhilHealth sa national treasury, at pagdedeklara na ang pondo ng PhilHealth ay dapat gamitin nang eksklusibo para sa serbisyong pangkalusugan.

“This is a victory not for any single individual, but for every Filipino family that depends on PhilHealth for access to medicine, treatment, hospitalization, and preventive care,” binigyang-diin ni Cayetano.

Bilang Senior Vice-Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Finance at isa sa mga pangunahing sumuporta sa health budget, ilang beses na kinuwestyon ni Cayetano ang pag-alis at paglipat ng pondo ng PhilHealth sa 2025 at 2026 budget, maski sa mga plenary debates at Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations.

Noon pa man, iginiit na niya na malinaw sa Universal Health Care Act at Sin Tax laws na ang mga pondong ito ay dapat gamitin nang eksklusibo sa ilalim ng PhilHealth. Si Cayetano ang principal author at sponsor ng Sin Tax Reform Act of 2020, na nagtaas ng excise taxes sa alak at e-cigarette products at paglalaan ng bahagi ng kita rito para sa pagpapatupad ng Universal Health Care.

Sa kanyang mga interpellation sa 2026 budget, binigyang-diin ni Cayetano ang lumalaking agwat sa pagitan ng mga kitang legal na nakalaan para sa PhilHealth at ng mga halagang aktwal na naipadadala sa ahensya.

Binigyang-diin niya na ang isyu ay hindi lamang tungkol sa accounting o bookkeeping, kundi tungkol sa tiwala ng publiko at obligasyon ng gobyerno na itaguyod ang mas magandang serbisyong pangkalusugan.

“PhilHealth funds exist for the health of the Filipino people and cannot be used for any other purpose,” binigyang-diin muli ni Cayetano. “The law is clear. These funds are meant to strengthen healthcare benefits, improve systems, expand access, and ensure better service delivery for our people.”

“PhilHealth must ensure that these funds are used strictly in accordance with the law—to address the urgent health needs of our people,” pahayag ni Cayetano. “The SC decision is a clear reminder that healthcare funds are not excess funds. They are lifelines for millions of Filipinos. And the agency has a duty to see that every peso serves its true purpose.”

Senator Pia S. Cayetano warned that reversing the Senate-approved reduction in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget without clear explanation risks undermining public trust. Speaking during Day 2 of the Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations on the 2026 budget, she stressed that “this is a trust issue”.

Cayetano said the Senate cut followed the President’s directive, DPWH inputs, and the government’s anti-corruption stance, adding, “we cannot just say na ibabalik yung presyo.” She cautioned that “simply putting back that budget sends the wrong message,” noting that unfinished projects can be continued in phases. “Kung kinulang, e di next phase two,” she said. “Perishable ba yan?”

Cayetano reiterated that she is “always willing to listen” and change her mind if presented with facts, but said it is difficult to reverse course when this was already clearly communicated to the public, as she appealed to DPWH to help by clearly explaining any policy shift.

Senator Pia S. Cayetano voted yes with reservations on the 2026 General Appropriations Act, warning that billions in legally earmarked PhilHealth funds from sin taxes, PCSO, and PAGCOR remain withheld, diverted, or unaccounted for. She said she is “not happy with the failure to provide the earmarked funds that should have been delivered to PhilHealth,” citing the P16.52-billion sin tax shortfall for 2026 as a clear legal violation: “This is not a matter of an unfunded law. This is earmarked. So saan napunta yun?” She added that withholding the full P69.78-billion allocation means “we are allowing the P16.52 billion deficit to be parked somewhere else… That is not allowed.”

She also noted that from 2019 to 2025, “PhilHealth’s share is P106.95 billion. Zero ang na-remit,” and that the amounts listed in the 2023 and 2024 GAA were “never released,” reflecting “a concerted effort to disregard this law that we passed.”

Cayetano urged strong action in the bicam, stressing that “this amount has no right to be sitting in another agency,” and cautioned that achieving Zero Balance Billing, especially in LGU hospitals, depends on releasing these funds because “dapat makagamit din sila ng PhilHealth zero balance billing. Kasi may pondo naman na hindi nire-release.”

Senator Pia Cayetano highlighted her long-time advocacy for children with rare and congenital conditions, drawing from her own experience as a young mother who lost a child with Trisomy 13. Responding to Senator Raffy Tulfo’s privilege speech for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, she emphasized that newborn screening and rare disease services are core responsibilities of the Department of Health, and supported by sustained funding under the Rare Disease Law and programs of the UP Manila National Institutes of Health. She also noted that these services are covered under PhilHealth’s Z Benefit package.

@⁨Zi Dantis⁩ draft photo release caption:

Senator Pia Cayetano raised strong concerns during the period of amendments on the 2026 national budget, urging the Senate to ensure that increases to the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) truly translate into meaningful support for students. While welcoming the combined multibillion-peso additions from the Committee and fellow senators, she stressed that current TES amounts have dropped to levels that no longer cover even the most basic needs of learners, leading to higher dropout rates in both public and private institutions. She appealed to the body to reassess how these critical funds are allocated so students can actually stay in school and finish their programs, emphasizing that partial assistance only sets them up to fail.