The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) denied what it described as "malicious" accusations regarding an alleged excessive budget allocated for its Christmas party.
"We wish to clarify that PhilHealth is fully complying with the directive of Malacañang to scale down agency celebrations for the Christmas season," PhilHealth said in a statement on Friday.
"The PhilHealth Management issued Management Advisory No. 2024-003 dated November 25, 2024 entitled 'A Call for Scaled-Down Christmas Celebrations,' which ordered all offices including regional offices to observe austerity measures in the conduct of such activities," the agency added.
PhilHealth also highlighted that the Committee had already ordered the cancellation of certain activities, redirecting the savings toward assisting communities severely impacted by the recent typhoons.
The statement was issued in response to health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon, who raised concerns about the apparent "misuse" of funds, claiming that nearly ₱138 million had been allocated for the agency's Christmas party and its upcoming 30th-anniversary celebration.
The agency clarified that the expense breakdown shared by Leachon, which is still preliminary, is intended for PhilHealth's 30th-anniversary celebration scheduled for 2025.
"Anchored on the theme 'Panatag Kami Dito!', these activities are also in line with the observance of the National Health Insurance Month per Proclamation 1400," the agency stated.
Furthermore, the agency explained that the activities outlined in the expense breakdown are planned to be year-round, nationwide in scope, and inclusive of employees, stakeholders, champions, advocates, and members.
PhilHealth stated that the approved activities are reasonable, budgeted in accordance with existing government-imposed limits, and will be procured in compliance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184.
Moreover, the activities will be utilized to actively engage members and stakeholders, aiming to generate interest and raise awareness about the reforms it is pursuing, particularly the enhancement of benefit packages as outlined in the Universal Health Care Act.
"May we remind Dr. Leachon to be more responsible and cautious before releasing any statement that may mislead the public," the agency said.
