Lawmaker wants PhilHealth placed under DOF
Senior Citizen party list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes proposed on Thursday that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) be placed under the Department of Finance (DOF) to prepare for the likelihood of the country having an aging population by 2030.
He also suggested that the Social Security System (SSS), Home Development Mutual (Pag-Ibig) Fund and PhilHealth be expanded to include more workers in the informal economy.
Ordanes cited a report by the Commission on Population and Development, which said that due to slow population growth, the Philippine population could be classified as aging by 2030. This would mean an increase in the number of Filipinos 60 years old and above and a decrease in those 15 years old and below.
“Preparing well for a larger and growing population of senior citizens involves strengthening our pension and health finance institutions, more employment and entrepreneurs and a continually growing economy. All these three factors will secure the future of future seniors,” he said.
He explained that strengthening pension and health finance institutions would involve transferring PhilHeath under the DOF where “PhilHealth properly belongs together with the SSS, (Government Service Insurance System) and Pag-IBIG Fund.” INQ