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Palace: Health aid won’t be coursed through pols
Malacañang assured the public that the P51 billion allocated for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program in 2026 will not be coursed through politicians.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro clarified that the funds will be released directly to local government units (LGUs) and implemented by the Department of Health (DOH).
This direct release mechanism aims to prevent the funds from passing through politicians, unlike the previous system where "guarantee letters" from senators and congressmen were often used.
The bicameral conference committee approved an increase in MAIFIP funding to P51 billion for 2026, a significant rise from the executive branch's proposed P24.2 billion under the National Expenditure Program.
The House contingent had appealed to restore the program's allocation to P49 billion, which was subsequently increased to P51 billion during the bicameral conference committee.
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A bicameral conference committee has approved a P51-billion budget for the Department of Health's (DOH) Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program for 2026.
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Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has denounced the increased budget for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program as a violation of human dignity and a "health pork barrel."
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