The House of Representatives has already incorporated into the approved 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) the ₱60-billion fund that the Supreme Court (SC) ordered returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
According to Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, the chamber has “completed the constitutional process” to restore the amount to PhilHealth through the annual national budget.
Adiong said the committee moved swiftly on the matter, acting months after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. instructed Congress to address the issue—even before the Supreme Court issued its ruling.
“Kung may proseso sa pagkuha, may proseso sa pagbalik. At iyan ay sa pamamagitan ng national budget. The mechanism for returning the money is the same as the mechanism in getting it,” Adiong said.
“The House has done what the law requires. We followed the President’s directive, we followed the Constitution, and we returned the ₱60 billion through the national budget,” he added.
RH Milky Rigonan reported on dzRH, the Malacañang-submitted National Expenditure Program (NEP) originally allocated ₱53 billion to PhilHealth for 2026.
However, Adiong said lawmakers added the full ₱60 billion mandated by the Supreme Court, raising PhilHealth’s 2026 budget to a total of ₱113 billion.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision released last Friday, ordered the government to return the ₱60 billion that the Department of Finance (DOF) transferred from PhilHealth to the National Treasury. The Court also permanently barred the transfer of another ₱29.9 billion from the state insurer’s funds.
Adiong issued the clarification after CBCP President Bishop Pablo Virgilio David urged the President and Congress to replenish the diverted amount using funds recovered from those who benefited from the improper transfer.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing also noted that budget adjustments were made during the chamber’s deliberations.
She said the additional funds for PhilHealth were sourced from savings generated by removing certain projects from the proposed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget.
