Unless the provisions granting the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) a massive budget increase and allocating billions for potentially unvetted farm-to-market roads are corrected, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson will not sign to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the 2026 budget.
Lacson drew the line on the matter Sunday after the bicameral conference committee decided to increase the MAIFIP’s 2026 budget to P51 billion, and provide P33 billion for farm-to-market roads.
“Sorry, unless rectified in its final version, I cannot sign to ratify a bicam report with P51 billion for MAIFIP, with nothing but guarantee letters from politicians and is not compliant with the Universal Health Care Act. Further, I will not associate myself with the P33-billion spending for unplanned and unvetted farm-to-market roads,” said Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget.
“Unless we adequately fund the UHC programs such that they cover all barangays and ensure zero billing, among others., we cannot fully implement the UHC law that we passed. All health-related funds must be subsumed under the Universal Health Care program of the Department of Health. Guarantee letters from politicians will only guarantee patronage politics but not the health care needs of Filipinos, especially the indigents,” he stressed.
In Filipino: Lacson, Hindi Pipirma sa Bicam Report ng Badyet na may Kaduda-dudang Probisyon sa MAIFIP, Farm-to-Market Roads
At the first day of the bicameral conference committee’s deliberations on the 2026 budget bill Saturday, lawmakers increased the MAIFIP’s 2026 budget to P51 billion – higher than the P42 billion in 2025 and bigger than the House’s initial proposal of P49 billion, which the Senate cut to P29 billion.
The lawmakers at the bicameral conference committee deliberations also decided to provide farm-to-market roads with P33 billion. This is higher than the P32 billion in the House version of the budget bill, and double the P16 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Earlier, Lacson noted the MAIFIP has been prone to political patronage, as it allows government officials to issue guarantee letters for indigent patients.
One of his priority bills, Senate Bill 404, seeks to free MAIFIP from politics by placing it under the framework of the Universal Health Care Act, and penalizing political exploitation and manipulation of the program.
During the Senate deliberations on the budget bill, Lacson questioned if the list of farm-to-market roads that would potentially be funded by the realignment of P255.5 billion in flood control project funds came from the Department of Agriculture or from congressmen.
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Lacson, Hindi Pipirma sa Bicam Report ng Badyet na may Kaduda-dudang Probisyon sa MAIFIP, Farm-to-Market Roads
Hangga’t hindi naitama ang mga probisyong nagbibigay ng malaking dagdag-pondo sa Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) at naglalaan ng bilyun-bilyong piso para sa mga posibleng kaduda-duda na farm-to-market roads, hindi pipirma si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson para iratipika ang bicameral conference committee report para sa 2026 budget.
Idiniin ito ni Lacson nitong Linggo matapos magpasya ang bicam na itaas ang badyet ng MAIFIP para sa 2026 sa P51 bilyon at maglaan ng P33 bilyon para sa farm-to-market roads.
“Sorry, unless rectified in its final version, I cannot sign to ratify a bicam report with P51 billion for MAIFIP, with nothing but guarantee letters from politicians and is not compliant with the Universal Health Care Act. Further, I will not associate myself with the P33-billion spending for unplanned and unvetted farm-to-market roads,” ani Lacson, na mahigpit na tagabantay ng kaban ng bayan.
“Unless we adequately fund the UHC programs such that they cover all barangays and ensure zero billing, etc., we cannot fully implement the UHC law that we passed. All health-related funds must be subsumed under the Universal Health Care program of the Department of Health. Guarantee letters from politicians will only guarantee patronage politics but not the health care needs of Filipinos, especially the indigents,” dagdag ng mambabatas.
Sa unang araw ng deliberasyon ng bicameral conference committee sa panukalang badyet para sa 2026 nitong Sabado, itinaas ng mga mambabatas ang badyet ng MAIFIP sa P51 bilyon. Mas mataas ito kaysa sa P42 bilyon noong 2025, at mas malaki kaysa sa orihinal na panukala ng Kamara na P49 bilyon, na ibinaba naman ng Senado sa P29 bilyon.
Nagpasya rin ang bicameral conference committee na pondohan ang farm-to-market roads ng P33 bilyon. Mas mataas ito kaysa sa P32 bilyon sa bersyon ng Kamara ng budget bill, at doble ng P16 bilyon na nakapaloob sa National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Ani Lacson, ang MAIFIP ay matagal nang lantad sa political patronage dahil pinahihintulutan nito ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno na mag-isyu ng guarantee letters para sa mga mahihirap na pasyente.
Isa sa priority bill ni Lacson ang Senate Bill No. 404 na layong alisin ang impluwensiya ng pulitika sa MAIFIP sa pamamagitan ng pagsasailalim nito sa balangkas ng Universal Health Care Act at pagpapataw ng parusa laban sa pampulitikang pagsasamantala at manipulasyon ng programa.
Sa deliberasyon naman ng Senado sa panukalang badyet, kinuwestiyon ni Lacson kung ang listahan ng mga farm-to-market roads na posibleng pondohan mula sa realignment ng P255.5 bilyon na pondo para sa flood control projects ay nagmula ba sa Department of Agriculture o sa mga kongresista.
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You’re the MAN, Senator LACSON!!