PhilHealth is in fragile financial health

There's a reason Bong Go rose to prominence, from a little-known businessman from Davao who became special assistant to the president, once touted as mere pambansang photo bomber-turned-selfie king, to becoming a senator in 2019 and topping the race with 27 million votes in 2025.

- IRIS GONZALES

It’s pretty simple. Go, coauthor of the Malasakit Centers Act, became associated with the Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop in government hospitals that helps poor and indigent Filipinos avail themselves of assistance programs from various government offices to help them pay their medical bills.

This proves that at the end of the day, access to health care is an urgent need for Filipinos, and that's a concern that cuts across sectors.

We've all heard of the harsh reality in the country when it comes to health care and some of us even experienced it ourselves: everyone, except the rich perhaps, is only one hospitalization away from poverty.

Thus, many voters welcome health-related interventions, which are more tangible than any macroeconomic statistic or political slogan.

To put it simply, when a family member gets sick, the need is immediate, the cost is overwhelming and the government official who can help becomes unforgettable. Never mind that it’s not really the politico's money he is using to help those in need. It’s still taxpayers' money. The politico, such as Go, just made it easier to access that assistance from government agencies.

Against this backdrop, it is important that our state health insurer, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., be protected and strengthened. The ability of Filipinos to access hospital care and medicines depends on it far more than they may realize, and its stability is directly tied to national well-being.

And our attention shouldn’t stop at the controversial P60-billion fund transfer. That issue is important, yes, but it is only one part of a deeper and more urgent question - is PhilHealth actually in good financial health?