A total of PHP60bn (approx. US$993.24m) has been officially returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) from the country’s National Treasury following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the state health insurer said in a news release on Wednesday.
PhilHealth said the move reflected Marcos’ confidence that it would fulfil its mandate as a partner to Filipinos in addressing healthcare needs.
The state health insurer thanked Marcos for directing that the funds be used to improve health services and expand access nationwide. It also acknowledged the Department of Finance for facilitating the immediate remittance of the amount.
The returned funds are expected to support efforts to expand benefit packages and streamline administrative operations for members across the country.
“The Corporation will ensure that every peso will be allocated to enhancing benefits, strengthening systems to speed up processes, and delivering fast, fair, and truly reliable service to every Filipino,” PhilHealth assured the public in a statement.
Marcos ordered the return of the funds, which forms part of the PHP89.9bn in the insurer’s unused allocations, in September 2025, as among his administration’s push to strengthen the country’s healthcare system. In December, the Philippine Supreme Court ordered the government to return the funds that were transferred to the National Treasury back to PhilHealth through the country’s 2026 national budget.
