SONA 2022 to 2025 on PhilHealth

On Monday, July 27, President Marcos will deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in front of the members of the Senate, House of Representatives, executive and judiciary branches, diplomatic community, other guests and the public.

The President has mentioned PhilHealth in his past SONAs. He might mention  PhilHealth again on Monday, particularly the return of P60 billion from the National Treasury. The subject remains in the news until recently.

See these reports in The Philippine STAR: “75 health groups buck tiered PhilHealth benefits” (July 3), “Group appeals dismissal of graft raps over PhilHealth fund diversion” (June 19), “Marcos Jr.: Probe PhilHealth benefit denial claim” (June 18), “PhilHealth fund return lifts GOCC subsidies in April” (June 15), “Plunder, graft raps vs Recto dismissed” (June 10).

Here are some pronouncements by the President regarding expanding health insurance in his past SONAs.

SONA 2022:

“Magtatayo tayo ng dagdag na mga health center at ospital….

Bukod dito, upang mailapit natin ang health care system sa taumbayan nang hindi sila kailangang pumunta sa sentro ng kanilang bayan, lalawigan o region, ay maglalagay tayo ng mga clinic at rural health unit na pupuntahan ng mga doktor, nurse, midwife, at medtech, isang beses, dalawang beses sa isang linggo — nang sa gayon, magiging mas madali sa may karamdaman na magpagamot nang hindi na kailangang magbyahe nang malayo.”

SONA 2023:

“Palapit nang palapit na tayo sa hangarin na ang lahat ng Pilipino ay makakakuha ng serbisyong-pangkalusugan: sa ngayon, mahigit 93 percent na ang kasapi sa PhilHealth.

“Sa pinagandang Konsulta Package ng PhilHealth, dalawampu’t isang klase ng mga gamot at labintatlong laboratory service ang ibibigay nang libre. Ngayon, mayroon na tayong mahigit dalawang libong Konsulta centers sa buong bansa. Ang bilang na ito ay mas marami nang tatlumpu’t limang porsyento mula noong nakalipas na taon.”

SONA 2024:

“Bilang tugon sa dumaraming insidente at tumataas na presyo ng pagpapagamot, itinaas na ng Philhealth nang mahigit doble ang mga benepisyo para sa mga malulubhang karamdaman, tulad ng acute stroke at pulmonya. Ang limit na ngayon para sa mga kundisyon na ito ay itinaas na hanggang pitumpu’t anim na libong piso at siyamnapung libong piso.

“Upang mapaigting pa ang paglaban natin sa cancer, tinaasan ng PhilHealth nang mahigit isanlibong porsyento ang benepisyo para sa pagpapagamot ng breast cancer. [applause] Ang dating limit na isandaang libong piso, ngayon ay ginawa na nating 1.4 million pesos.

“Ang benepisyo naman para sa colon cancer ay pinag-ibayo na rin. At bago matapos ang taon, maisasama na rin sa mga benepisyo ng PhilHealth ang chemotherapy para sa cancer sa baga, atay, ovary, at prostate.”

SONA 2025:

“Kapag kayo po o ang inyong kapamilya ay may sakit sa puso, huwag po kayong mag-alala. Covered na po sa PhilHealth ang pagpapagamot ninyo para sa atake sa puso, sa open-heart surgery, heart valve repair o sa replacement….

“At ngayong taon, covered na rin ng PhilHealth ang mga serbisyo at gamot pagkatapos ng operasyon ng kidney transplant.

“At kung magkakasakit nang malubhang dengue ang inyong anak, itinaas po natin sa apatnapu’t pitong libong piso ang sagot ng PhilHealth….

“Pati ang mga sari-saring serbisyong outpatient, kasama rin po ngayon sa PhilHealth. Kapag may kailangan kayong dalhin sa emergency, huwag po kayong mag-atubiling itakbo sa ospital. Covered na rin po ‘yan ng PhilHealth.”

Some detractors, including self-styled “health reform advocate” doctors and NGOs, keep attacking the government for “defunding PhilHealth,” “destruction of universal healthcare,” “exclusion of non-contributors.” They are spreading lies and disinformation.

The country’s Current Health Expenditures (CHE) have been rising from P489 billion in 2014 to P927 billion in 2020 and P1,733 billion in 2025. Of these amounts, transfers from government domestic revenues have been increasing from P393 billion in 2014, P777 billion in 2020 and P1,287 billion in 2025 (Source: Philippine Statistics Authority).

The Total Health Expenditure (THE) that includes private and corporate health spending is rising from 4.0 percent of GDP in 2014, 5.7 percent in 2020 and 6.7 percent of GDP in 2025.

A big part of PhilHealth funds does not come from income tax, property tax or VAT, but taxes from smokers, drinkers, vapers and gamblers. When health activists say that the indigents and seniors are “indirect contributors” to PhilHealth, they are implying that the indigents and seniors are drinkers, smokers, vapers of legal tobacco and alcohol and do not patronize illicit and smuggled products that pay zero in sin tax.

Consider also a Facebook podcast by Paul Harvin Roxas last July 5, his guest, Dr. Tony Leachon, said that the P60-billion PhilHealth fund “nawala yong pera at unaccounted for” and called for the resignation of Executive Secretary Ralph  Recto and DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.

Dr. Leachon’s statement is a lie and disinformation. The P60-billion PhilHealth fund was not stolen or “unaccounted,” it was simply remitted back to the National Treasury in 2024. Then last April 23, all of the P60 billion were remitted by the Treasury back to PhilHealth.

This year, PhilHealth has a budget of P129.782 billion under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2026. This is composed of P53.13 billion (subsidy for “indirect contributors”) plus  P60 billion (returned by the National Treasury in compliance with the Supreme Court decision last Dec. 3, 2025) plus P16.52 billion (benefit package improvement including coverage of dialysis, mental health outpatient, Z-benefit package, etc.) plus P127 million (PAMANA program).

So “health reform advocate” Dr. Leachon can also be “health disinformation advocate.” Most health reforms that he advocates are the same reforms raised by other health NGOs. So perhaps the real “health reform” he has in mind is that he should be the next DOH Secretary in the next administration. Good luck with that.