FY 2026 NEP: Nurturing future-ready generations

(Part 3)

- 

ssalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Last week, I discussed the education sector as the top priority in the P6.793 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), or the proposed national budget of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., (PBBM), which we submitted to Congress for their review, deliberation, and approval.

As the President emphasized in his budget message, with the administration reaching midterm, its strategy will focus not only on infrastructure but in our biggest treasure: our people, especially the next generations. Hence, we are pursuing strategies to develop and protect the individual’s and families’ capabilities, anchored on the first pillar of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

Health sector

Aside from education, we are prioritizing the health sector to promote human and social development. Under the NEP, we allocated 2320.5 billion for this sector to expand and enhance healthcare services nationwide.

This includes the P53.3 billion for the National Health Insurance Program of the PhilHealth to strengthen pooled health financial systems, expand public subsidies, streamline insurance contributions, and reduce out-of-pocket expenses, especially for the poor and vulnerable.

To fund medical assistance for those who need the most, the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financial-Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) will receive P24,.2 billion, while the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF), 21.3 billion, so that no Filipino is denied lifesaving care due to poverty.

Additionally, we are also increasing the budgets of Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in Metro Manila to P27.7 billion (20.2 percent increase from FY 2025’s P23.2 billion) and DOH regional hospitals to 99.5 billion (26.1 percent increase compared to FY 2025’s P78.9 billion).