MANILA — A total of P60 billion has been officially returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) from the National Treasury following a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In a news release, PhilHealth expressed gratitude to Marcos for the directive, saying the funds will be used to improve health services and expand access for more Filipinos.

The state insurer also thanked the Department of Finance for facilitating the immediate transfer of the funds, while reaffirming its commitment to the proper use of public resources.

“Sisiguruhin ng Korporasyon na ang bawat pisong ito ay ilalaan sa pagpapahusay ng mga benepisyo, pagpapalakas ng mga sistema upang mapabilis ang mga proseso, at paghatid sa bawat Pilipino ng serbisyong mabilis, patas, at tunay na mapagkakatiwalaan (The Corporation will ensure that every peso will be allocated to enhancing benefits, strengthening systems to speed up processes, and delivering fast, fair, and truly reliable service to every Filipino),” it said.

PhilHealth said the returned funds are expected to support the expansion of benefit packages and improve administrative systems to enhance service delivery nationwide.

The move follows Marcos’ earlier announcement in September last year directing the return of funds to PhilHealth, which he said aligns with his administration’s goal of strengthening the country’s healthcare system.