MANILA: The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) on Tuesday backed calls for the PHP89.9 billion unused fund to be returned to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). In a news release, the Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sector Council (NAPC-FLMWSC) expressed its support to the petition filed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III asking the Supreme Court to bring unused fund back to the PhilHealth from the National Treasury and to void Department Circular 003-2024 issued by the Department of Finance. "This transfer violated the provisions of Republic Act No. 11223 (Universal Health Care Act), specifically Section 11 which states that allocating funds to PhilHealth is essential to guaranteeing that every Filipino, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, has access to quality healthcare services," it said. "This recent transfer of substantial funds undermines PhilHealth's primary objective of providing universal health coverage for all Filipinos," it added. Citing that healthcare is a fundamental human right, the NAPC-FLMWSC said the fund's reallocation would boost PhilHealth's capacity to deliver essential health services. "We urge the concerned authorities to heed this call and take immediate action to restore the funds to PhilHealth, so we can ensure that our health insurance system remains robust and capable of addressing the healthcare needs of all Filipinos especially during these challenging times," it said. The Council also supports PhilHealth's stance for the reduction of monthly premium rates and the implementation of Section 9 of the Universal Health Care Act on the provision of additional program benefits for direct PhilHealth contributors. Source: Philippines News Agency