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Realigned Philhealth fund: Sen. Imee Marcos questions the Department of Finance on the transfer of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) fund amounting to P89.9 billion unprogrammed fund. During Wednesday’s briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on August 14, 2024 on the proposed P6.352 trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for next year, Marcos recalled Finance Secretary Ralph Recto saying, “health (fund) for health” which means that the amount would be used solely for health expenditures. “But later on, there were some statements that they would be used for infrastructure. Are we to assume they're going to be health and social infrastructure which are still related to the mandate of PhilHealth,” Marcos said. Recto said it was the order of Congress for the DOF to seek sleeping funds and reallocate it for better use. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also explained that P27 billion was used to pay the overdue allowances of COVID-19 health workers. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)