Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, raised serious concerns about the reported outdated system of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). He urged PhilHealth officials to address inefficiencies in data consolidation that have been causing delays in services, particularly in municipalities and far-flung areas.
Citing complaints from local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders, Senator Go emphasized that the agency’s aging servers and systems were hampering operations.
“To PhilHealth na naman po ito mula sa LGUs, papunta po sa PhilHealth Central Office. Sobrang bagal po daw ng system at server ng PhilHealth, hindi ma-consolidate ang data from municipalities, cities, kasi luma na po ‘yung sistema,” he said.
“Ano bang plano n’yo rito? May plano ba kayo na gumawa ng bagong server? So, ibig sabihin, medyo luma na raw po ito. Luma na raw po ‘yung mga kagamitan. Kaya, nagsa-suffer po ‘yung services n’yo,” Go inquired during a Senate hearing he presided on Wednesday, February 12.
The senator then read direct feedback from a concerned stakeholder, further illustrating the gravity of the issue:
“Ang issue sa PhilHealth sa sistema nila sobrang outdated. Ilang beses na kami nakaharap sa mga head ng PhilHealth way back in 2019. Ang system nila ang dapat baguhin, need ng new server, hindi makonsolidate ang data from municipalities kasi luma na po ‘yung sistema. Ang daming pera ng PhilHealth pero pang-grade 1 ang computer na gamit nila, lalo na ang server. Kahit anong ikot mo sa services, kung ang system ang problema, walang maayos na serbisyo d’yan ‘pag gano’n po ang problema.”
Senator Go stressed that these observations come from the ground and should not be ignored by PhilHealth officials. He called on them to review and address these issues immediately.
“‘Yon po, paki-check lang po. Ito, galing talaga sa baba ‘yung feedback. Baka tingnan n’yo lang mabuti. Baka sa dami ng inyong pondo, pero ‘yung paano makababa agad ‘yung serbisyo o ‘yung transmittal from far-flung areas, from municipalities up to PhilHealth, ‘yon ang nagiging problema,” he said.
He specifically directed his concerns to PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Edwin Mercado, urging the agency to take these observations constructively.
“Baka puwede n’yo pong ma-review po ito, Dr. Edwin Mercado. ‘Wag n’yo lang pong mamasamain. Ito po ‘yung mga observations sa baba, and I’m sure na makakatulong rin po ito sa inyong trabaho.”
Senator Go also turned to the Department of Health (DOH) for further discussion, signaling that the issue of PhilHealth’s inefficiencies would require broader coordination with the health department.
The senator has long pushed for reforms in the country’s health sector, particularly in ensuring that government programs reach communities efficiently. With PhilHealth managing billions in public funds, he emphasized the urgent need for modernized systems to prevent bureaucratic delays and ensure that Filipinos receive the medical assistance they need without unnecessary hurdles.
