PhilHealth fund return pushed GOCC subsidies to all-time high

MANILA, Philippines – Government subsidies to state firms soared more than quadrupled to an all-time high in April, driven mostly by the return of P60 billion to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed subsidies extended to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) jumped 355.7 percent to P66.3 billion in April from P14.5 billion in the same month last year.

READ: P60-B ‘excess funds’ returned to PhilHealth

PhilHealth alone accounted for more than 90 percent of the month’s total subsidy releases, making it the primary driver of the increase. It also marked the first subsidy extended to the state health insurer this year.

In December 2025, the Supreme Court declared void a Department of Finance provision that required PhilHealth to remit P89.9 billion in unused funds to the National Treasury. Of the amount, P60 billion had already been transferred in three tranches before the ruling was handed down.

READ: SC orders return of P60-B excess funds to PhilHealth

The Department of Budget and Management then issued a special allotment release order on April 21 for the return of the P60 billion after receiving approval from the Office of the President on April 14.

PhilHealth is slated to receive the largest subsidy allocation among GOCCs this year at P129.78 billion, inclusive of the returned funds.

Breaking down April’s releases, Small Business Corp. remained the sole government financial institution to receive subsidies, obtaining P625 million. The amount has completed the release of its P1-billion allocation for the year.

Major nonfinancial GOCCs received a combined P3.64 billion, led by the National Food Authority with P2.47 billion and the National Irrigation Administration with P917 million. INQ