00:00Today, PhilHealth was able to return to the government the additional 10 billion pesos that they have in their fund according to the Department of Finance.
00:07That is the first news of Macky Pulido.
00:13After PhilHealth recovered 10 billion pesos from the National Treasury,
00:17the total amount of funds remitted by the agency this year will be 30 billion pesos.
00:22It will be followed by 30 billion pesos in October and almost 30 billion pesos in November
00:28so that the additional 89 billion pesos, according to the Department of Finance, is surplus.
00:35But according to Juan Antonio Perez, former Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development,
00:41the government allocated 624 billion pesos for the poor, senior citizens, and PWD or indirect contributors.
00:50If the 611 billion pesos used by PhilHealth is reduced, 13 billion pesos will be surplus in his account.
00:57The DOF only computed from 2021 to 2023, the time of the pandemic, so PhilHealth's claims are low.
01:05According to Perez, it is already higher, so the funds may be deducted for the indigent, senior citizens, and PWD.
01:13What will happen is, the formal sector and the informal sector, those who are paying, will bear the burden.
01:21Their contribution will be the money to pay the poor.
01:27According to Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, the funds that PhilHealth is not using should be used in other ways,
01:34such as education, health care, infrastructure, and aid.
01:38We are still trying to get the DOF's statement while PhilHealth President Emanuele Desma refused to be interviewed.
01:45But he insisted that the PhilHealth funds are still enough for a Senate hearing.
01:49Before the end of the year, they plan to increase PhilHealth's coverage by 60 percent.
01:54If the 89.9 billion will be deducted from the computed fund balance of 183.1 billion,
02:03we are left with more than 90 billion, which the corporation can use for the planned benefit enhancements.
02:12But a senator reminded him of what he mentioned in the first hearing.
02:17This is what you said, we at PhilHealth upper management will recommend to President Marcos that we bring down the premium rates.
02:25That's a record.
02:26Now, it seems that Desma is backing down.
02:28He said that the membership contribution is just a formality.
02:32We are internally reviewing from our end.
02:34Fulfill your promise.
02:37This is the first news. Macky Pulido for JMA Integrated News.
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