Bong Go on PhilHealth contributions: find a viable solution to achieve universal health care for all without imposing unnecessary burden to ordinary Filipinos during this challenging time

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncements favoring the deferment of the implementation of the increase in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) contribution rates for 2021.

"Palagi po naming inuuna ni Pangulong Duterte kung ano ang makakabuti sa nakararami -- lalo na sa mga mahihirap at pinaka-nangangailangan. Kung kaya't nagsalita na ang Pangulo na ipagpaliban muna ang pag-increase ng rates ng contributions ng PhilHealth habang meron pa tayong pandemyang kinakaharap," Go said.

"Inatasan ng Pangulo ang mga opisyales na siguraduhing maibigay pa rin ang serbisyong pangkalusugan na kailangan ng mga Pilipino sa paraang hindi madadagdagan ang kasalukuyang hirap na pinapasan na nila," he added.

On the part of the Legislature, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco also said that both Houses of Congress will act immediately on calls to defer the increase on the monthly contribution rates.

According to Go, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado and PhilHealth CEO Dante Gierran are also working on how the government can unburden Filipinos by shouldering the cost while ensuring that the UHC law is implemented and the services of PhilHealth are unhampered.

"Whether we amend the law or augment the funds of PhilHealth, let us work together to find a viable solution to achieve universal health care for all without imposing unnecessary burden to ordinary Filipinos during this challenging time," he said.

Go has earlier appealed to government finance managers and his fellow legislators to highly consider the deferment of the increase in PhilHealth contributions to unburdened Filipinos given the adverse socio-economic impacts of the health crisis.

"Hirap na po ang ating mga kababayan, huwag na natin silang mas pahirapan pa. Karamihan sa kanila ay nawalan ng trabaho. Paano natin pagbabayarin ang ordinaryong Pilipino kung nawalan po sila ng kabuhayan? Tulad ng sabi ng Pangulo, it is the job of the government to make it easy for everybody at this time," Go explained.

President Duterte, in his Talk to the People on Monday night, January 4, told PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran to suspend the monthly premium hike amid the ongoing health crisis.

"May I just suggest to the PhilHealth ... si Dante Gierran at sa lahat na... Huwag muna ngayon. No increase in contributions. I will look for the money to fill it up," Duterte said.

"Anyway, that is the job of the government, to make it easy for everybody at this time, I said, of our lives," the President added.

Earlier, Go already said that the President favored the said deferment due to the ongoing pandemic.

"Sinabi niya na kung may maipapasang batas ang Lehislatibo na naglalayong ipatupad ang deferment, o kung may kailangang aprubahan na dagdag na pondo mula sa gobyerno para hindi maantala ang serbisyo ng PhilHealth, pipirmahan niya ito pagkatapos mapag-aralan nang mabuti," he earlier said.

Go emphasized that "the government, as a whole, must do its best to unburden Filipinos by shouldering the cost while ensuring that the Universal Health Care law is implemented and the services of PhilHealth are unhampered."

Since the increase in PhilHealth contributions is mandated by existing law, specifically the UHC law, Go said that he is currently studying possible legislative interventions to pursue the deferment at this time.

Go had suggested amending the UHC law or including a provision in the proposed Bayanihan 3 law deferring such payments while the country is in a state of national emergency.

"One option is to propose an amendatory bill that will specifically address the specific provision in the UHC law mandating the said increase," Go said.

"Another option is to include a provision in the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill that would allow moving statutory deadlines and timelines for payments required by law such as, but not limited, to increase and payment of PhilHealth premiums," he added.

"Gawin natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para mapagaan ang pinapasan ng taumbayan," Go further stressed.