Pangulo

 An Open Letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. -

UHC in the ICU — Dying by March 2027?

By Dr. Tony Leachon

Mr. President,

While you travel to Singapore to watch the Grand Prix, history reminds us of what past leaders did for healthcare:

• President Benigno Aquino III passed the Sin Tax Law of 2012, ensuring sustainable health financing.

• President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Universal Health Care Law in 2019, a landmark for equity and dignity.

And yet, under your administration:

• ₱60 billion was transferred from PhilHealth — later ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

• PhilHealth received zero budget in 2025, leaving hospitals gasping for air.

• MAIFIP rose in funding, a symbol of patronage politics overtaking healthcare justice.

Today, UHC is in a moribund state:

• PhilHealth 2027 funding gap: ₱170 B.

• Proposed budget: ₱74.45 B vs. ₱244 B needed.

• Annual UHC gap: ₱541 B unfunded.

• ₱311.49 B withheld from mandated health funds.

• Out‑of‑pocket spending: 41.2% in 2025 — among ASEAN’s highest.

• MAIFIP still funded — politics over patients.

If Congress does not act, Universal Health Care flatlines by March 2027.

Mr. President, leadership is not measured by the races we attend abroad, but by the lives we save at home. Your legacy will not be written in the glamour of Formula One, but in the dignity of a healthcare system that either protects or abandons its people.

You still have time to choose:

• Fund PhilHealth fully.

• Integrate MAIFIP into a transparent system.

• Strengthen hospitals and empower healthcare workers.

• Honor the promise of UHC.

History will remember not the speed of cars in Singapore, but the courage of a leader who chose to heal his nation.

Respectfully,

Dr. Tony Leachon