President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday, September 22, announced that the billion-worth excess funds remitted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury will be returned to the state-run insurer.

According to the President, the initiative is intended to strengthen PhilHealth’s capacity to expand the health coverage as well improve services for the members.

Following the directive to return, DOF disclosed that ₱27.45 billion was released to healthcare workers who served during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, apart from frontliner allowances, the funds also covered other programs—₱10 billion for medical assistance to indigent and financially challenged patients, and ₱4.1 billion was allocated to the procurement of medical and primary care equipment.

Moreover, DOH got P3.4B for facilities, P1.7B for upgrades, while the remaining ₱13B went to foreign-assisted projects for food security and healthcare in remote areas.

PhilHealth is set to receive ₱53.26B in the 2026 budget, topping the GOCC subsidies, after losing funding last year.