During the Bicameral Conference Committee meeting on the 2026 national budget, Senator Pia S. Cayetano pressed the Department of Health over the lack of clear data on stalled and non-functional HFEP projects and reiterated the urgent release of legally earmarked PhilHealth funds. She also highlighted the nationwide shortage of health workers and flagged billions in unremitted sin tax, PCSO, and PAGCOR revenues, warning that these funding gaps continue to undermine healthcare delivery.
On the discussion of farm-to-market roads, Cayetano raised reservations over the proposed expansion and transfer of implementation from the DPWH to the DA, cautioning that when agencies change direction, “we start small so that we have less errors,” adding that while she is “willing to give DA the benefit of the doubt,” she cannot support a large-scale rollout amid unresolved risks, saying, “I cannot stand to see corruption continue to happen.”
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