Department of Finance (DOF)Secretary Ralph Recto wants to transfer about P90billion of supposedly unused funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the national government, for funding the government’s unprogrammed appropriations. Objections were raised by various organizations, government officials, budget watchdogs, medical professionals, concerned individuals and lately, the PhilHealth UNION itself, comprising the rank-and-file workers. The common argument, understandably, is that “the money should instead be used to expand the health benefits for Filipinos needing medical care.”
In fact, the remitting of unutilized government subsidies of PhilHealth back to the treasury is in violation of Section 11 of Republic Act No. 11223. The UHC Act states that “no portion of the reserve fund or income thereof shall accrue to the general fund of the national government or to any of its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).” Moreover, the law also directs PhilHealth to use any excess reserve fund “to increase the program’s benefits and to decrease the amount of members’ contribution.”
There may be discretionary decisions by government officials to manage budgeted funds for a holistic approach to solving the varied problems of the country. But the fact that the members’ contributions were specifically geared for safeguarding the health needs of the Filipino people, such funds should be utilized responsibly and fully to benefit as many people as possible. Also considering the many deficiencies in the disposition and proper management of the funds, given the common knowledge of corruption in the government bureaucracy, funds supposedly unused should not have happened, in the first place. Budgeted funds of any government agency, or any corporate unit of a company, is expected to be spent judiciously and professionally, and therefore, so-called excess funds should not have occurred, as a general rule.
Indeed, government officials mandated to manage and utilize their budgeted funds should have an honest-to-goodness pro-people service-oriented outlook. To address the country’s overall health situation, the key responsible government institutions should always seriously take a country-wide view of the health needs of more than 114 million Filipinos, particularly the more than 50 million poor Filipinos, especially in the far-flung areas of the Visayas and Mindanao. Only then will the Filipino people truly enjoy a health system that comprehensively and effectively assure them of a society of healthy people – the key mandate of PhilHealth and other related government offices.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #ColumnbyBoniMacaranas #PoliticsIsLife #DoF #PhilHealth