The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Saturday denied that it allotted nearly P138 million for its Christmas party, saying that the budget was for its whole year, nationwide commemoration of its 30th anniversary in 2025.
“It’s a fake news, because iyon pong ating Christmas party, actually kami nga po ay tumalima roon sa pahayag ng ating Pangulo for austerity. Nagpalabas kami ng appropriate management advisory for that,” PhilHealth’s Health Finance Policy Sector Senior Vice President Dr. Israel Francis Pargas said in a Dobol B TV interview.
(It’s fake news, because for our Christmas party, actually we complied with the President’s call for austerity. We issued an appropriate management advisory for that.)
“‘Yun pong nabanggit na P138 million is a proposed activity budget para po sa celebration ng ating milestone, 30 years ng anniversary ng PhilHealth in February for 2025,” he added.
(The said P138 million is a proposed activity budget for the celebration of our milestone 30 years of PhilHealth’s anniversary in February for 2025.)
Pargas said the agency decided to make it a “whole year” celebration in 2025, as February is also the National Health Insurance Program Month.
“Hindi po ‘yun Pasko, at iyon po ay budget proposed at hindi pa po ‘yan approved for the said activities for the anniversary next year, nationwide, whole year,” he said.
(It’s not for Christmas, and that’s a budget proposal and it has not been approved yet for the said activities for the anniversary next year, nationwide, whole year.)
PhilHealth issued a statement Thursday evening saying that health advocate Dr. Tony Leachon was “misinformed” about his claim that the state insurer had an excessive Christmas party budget.
In his social media post, Leachon called out PhilHealth officials “for not using funds wisely.”
“138 Million for Christmas party,” he said.
Leachon cited President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for government agencies to keep their Christmas celebrations simple. However, Leachon also mentioned the health insurer’s 30th anniversary in the same post.
It also carried an image of an unlabeled document bearing a PhilHealth logo and a list of multiple projects with a total cost of P137.76 million.
Zero budget para sa PHILHEALTH : abusado @teamphilhealth leadership team for not using funds wisely !
138 Million for Christmas party
Nagagamit naman ng husto pondo ng philhealth – para sa mga Christmas party contrary to the request of BBM for not spending much this Xmas
at… pic.twitter.com/GayhKAG22B— Tony Leachon MD (@DrTonyLeachon) December 13, 2024
— VDV, GMA Integrated News
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