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B HOTEL, Quezon City, October 6, 2026 (SDN) — Is it true the 2027 MAIFIP budget has more than doubled from Php24 billion to Php49 billion?
Health guardians of the healthcare-starved poor Filipinos have exposed today, Tuesday, this doubling of the budget allocated for the discretionary Medical Assistance for Indigent and Medically Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP).
Health professionals, budget watchdogs, labor groups, and basic sector leaders met members of the media and blogging community here to discuss what maybe described as a lamentable development, the doubling of the discretionary MAIFIP budget for 2027, from Php24 billion to Php49 billion.
Atty. Paula Tanquieng revealed at the event, dubbed Kalusugan: Karapatan, Hindi Utang na Loob (Ibigay ang Nararapat na Pondo para sa PhilHealth sa 2027 Budget) that on October 1, Congress’s Budget Amendments and Review Subcommittee (BARSc) doubled the discretionary MAIFIP budget.
It’s a proposal, she pointed out, and that the final amount is unknown.
So, could this mean more leverage to get political support, especially with the approaching presidential elections in 2028? What would be the doubled MAIFIP budget’s impact on Filipinos, particularly the poor?
“This budget prioritizes a patronage-driven system that forces sick Filipinos to beg at politicians’ offices, while leaving PhilHealth with a grossly inadequate Php74-billion allocation for 2027, which is projected to run dry by March 2027,” the health guardians emphasizes in a statement.
They noted that with this development, they anticipate that millions of Filipinos are bound to “face the threat of catastrophic out-of-pocket hospital bills once funds are exhausted in the first quarter of next year” with a huge Php170 billion shortfall against PhilHealth’s Php244 billion minimum requirements.”
The Healthcare Professionals Alliance After COVID-19 (HPAAC) staged tthe media briefing, present included Antonio Dans, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of the Philippines (UP) Manila College of Medicine and Convenor of Health Professionals Alliance After COVID-19 (HPAAC);
Maria Victoria R. Raquiza, PhD, Co-Convenor, Social Watch Philippines;
Annie Enriquez Geron, PhD, President, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation; Salvacion Basiano, Sectoral Representative, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPCI) for Senior Citizen Council; and Jeremy Cordero, MD. Atty. Paula Tanquieng moderated the panel discussion.
A highlight of the briefing and discussion read their “Healthcare Leaders’ Position Paper on the Fiscal Year 2027 General Appropriations Bill” expressing their concern over the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Thus, they challenged Congress and the Executive to put patients over politics by immediately closing PhilHealth’s Php170 billion funding gap and remitting Php311 billion in withheld and unappropriated Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) earmarks.”
The Filipinos’ Healthcare Guardians also demanded the “abolition of discretionary health patronage funds the likes of MAIFIP as they call for the immediate transfer of these billions directly to PhilHealth to guarantee transparent, efficient, and rules-based benefits for all Filipinos.” — EDD K. USMAN /SDN
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This story will be updated with more details and information.