@radarph_media Before my mom passed away, we went to philhealth for assistance, she always paid her monthly dues, the ending was them providing ₱5,000. After that I stopped paying mine. I was paying them for around 5yrs. Never again. Go invest that money somewhere else and make it grow.
PhilHealth is omnipresent in every Filipino’s payslip, taking money whether workers like it or not. Yet in moments of greatest need, it often feels absent.
That’s what happened in the viral case of Maria Lourdes Sulit. Her husband Marvin contributed for over 25 years. When he died of a brain hematoma, PhilHealth declined to cover their nearly ₱200,000 hospital bill.
The reason: a technicality. He was confined for less than 24 hours. Under PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0007, inpatient benefits require a 24-hour stay. But Circular No. 2025-0020 allows outpatient emergency benefits in cases ending in death within 24 hours. So which is it, then?
Sulit’s case is yet another crack in a system already under strain.
PhilHealth is mandatory under the Universal Health Care Law. Every Filipino is automatically enrolled, meaning every worker is required to contribute—regardless of income, preference, or private coverage.
And that has long been a point of frustration. Ask any tito, tita, tropa, or kakilala, and a familiar story emerges: PhilHealth often covers only a fraction of the bill. Families still shoulder significant out-of-pocket expenses.
Then come the administrative failures: the delays, the waiting, the stress on top of the hospitalization stresses.
Private health maintenance organizations help fill some of the gap. But even they can only do so much, often still leaving families exposed to catastrophic expenses that the public system is supposed to cushion.
And then, there’s the issue that refuses to go away: corruption.
PhilHealth has been repeatedly drawn into controversies involving anomalous claims, questionable reimbursements, and fund management issues that have reached Congress and the courts.
The latest one involved around ₱60 billion in excess funds—transferred to the national treasury. The Supreme Court later ruled that it’s unconstitutional, questioning whether health funds were being redirected away from their intended purpose.
The money has since been restored to PhilHealth, but its image isn’t getting any better. To many, it remains an agency that collects mandatory contributions, yet Filipinos don't get what they pay for.
Calls to abolish PhilHealth continue to surface. Let Filipinos keep their money. Rely on private insurance or personal means instead.
It’s understandable—especially in cases like Sulit’s—but abolition without replacement risks dismantling the country’s only nationwide health risk pool.
For all its flaws, PhilHealth remains the only attempt at universal coverage at scale. Removing it wouldn’t erase the need for protection.
So the real issue is not just whether to abolish PhilHealth, but what must replace or radically reform it.
Our Asian neighbors have made clearer choices. Thailand funds universal healthcare through general taxation, allowing patients to access care with minimal or no out-of-pocket costs. Malaysia heavily subsidizes public hospitals, keeping treatment affordable and predictable. South Korea operates a hybrid system where mandatory contributions are matched with reliable, structured coverage at the point of care.
The Philippines remains stuck in between: compulsory contributions without guaranteed protection, universal enrollment without universal certainty.
Now, the question is no longer whether PhilHealth should exist. Can it continue in its current form when the gap between contribution and protection remains this wide?
Can Filipinos still afford to pay premiums to a system they cannot rely on in a life-and-death situation?
Otherwise, PhilHealth only gives Filipinos hell.
@sas290w@XXLWOOFIA Key word is “criticise” which is different from hating btw. Everyone has their own taste and ideals. just because not everyone doesn’t conform to your view doesn’t mean they’re fake, or in your terms “a smug idiot”. Just as I accept your view, hope you also accept others.
@XXLWOOFIA Aquí hay dos tipos de personas:
Los que de verdad esperamos con ansias a este personaje en el juego (como yo).
Y los que también esperaban con ansias al personaje pero ahora que vieron que no es "x" tipo de unidad ahora lo critican. Eso no es un fan, solo es un idiota engreído.
At a cultural festival in China, while a group of women in traditional clothing was walking through the street, a cat was lying in the middle of the road.
A security guard then moved the cat to the side with his foot.
The cat was quite angry about this situation.
I am definitely on the cat’s side; I think a cat should be treated more gently 😌
@FT This sounds more disgusting than amazing. Mainly because this confirms how 99.9% of humans have unlimited greed. Even if their money reaches $1 googolplex, it would still not be enough. A multimillion dollar wealth is enough for me but I know almost everyone want this.
Kikiam = Tempura
3 Stars sa Philippine Flag = Love , Joy , Hope. Atecco? HAHAHAHAHA
Ano tinuturo sa BRENT?
Gets ko pa yung sa street food pero the Philippine Flag ate? Gurl?? 🤣🤣🤣
@PopBase He’s right about some things, one of which is knowing who to target and cater to. Brainrotted, edgy, destructive and loud kids/teens who would consume overly exaggerated and obnoxious content.
@volleybagan We really should stop glorifying these top universities, they’re too overrated. I’ve been in one. Even on board exams, these top universities get outshined by some lowkey university.
Look at how proudly he answered when he was asked if any schools in Manila had already recruited him. Despite receiving multiple offers, he proudly named only one.
Ateneo de Manila was where he wanted to be.
The school he loved so much could not even offer a single apology for his LOSS.
@bokutosayswhaat This title is so mainstream, I can’t escape it on my feeds. I used to love the show but now I hate it. Especially that one actor i forgot the name, no facial hair. He looks and acts like a narcissist 🤣
@astronomiaum No shade to the guy who did the work but who dafuq needs a trillion, are humans really that greedy. the thing is this is not over, it could reach quadrillion, until it’s googolplex and it still won’t be enough for 99.9% of humans. Id be set for life if I have millions at most.
🚨URGENTE: Elon Musk é oficialmente o primeiro TRILIONÁRIO do Planeta. A fortuna do empresário atingiu US$ 1,1 trilhão, o que permitiria um gasto diário de US$ 68,7 milhões caso ele viva até os 100 anos.
“i need an answer. a clear answer from philippines.. from ateneo blue eagle.. the coach.. just please i just need an answer. tell me what happened to my son. their stories are not the same.” — divine’s mom