Manila: Senate President Vicente Sotto III clarified on Friday the PHP51-billion allocation approved by the bicameral conference committee for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) under the proposed 2026 national budget is intended to ease congestion in government hospitals.

According to Philippines News Agency, Sotto said lawmakers strengthened MAIFIP after observing persistent overcrowding in public hospitals, where patients are often treated in corridors due to limited bed capacity. The expanded funding allows medical assistance to be used in private hospitals when government facilities are already full, providing immediate relief to indigent patients while public hospital capacity is being improved.

Sotto emphasized that the MAIFIP funds are not a pork barrel for senators, stating that the funds are directed to hospitals and patients, not legislators, to address actual gaps in access to health care services. He stressed that MAIFIP spending is rules-based and governed by clear budget provisions, rejecting claims that the allocation is discretionary or political.

The Senate President highlighted that guarantee letters (GLs) from lawmakers are no longer required for MAIFIP assistance, as hospitals can now directly access the funds for eligible patients. Endorsements by senators or congressmen are optional and no longer a prerequisite for aid.

Sotto described the safeguards governing the MAIFIP allocation as part of a new era in budget-making, marked by transparency, accountability, and reduced political intervention. He emphasized that lawmakers seek to support universal health care and reduce patients' out-of-pocket expenses.