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# A nation in crisis: Why healthcare is not a priority in the Philippines
- URL: https://tsrv2.apphq.dev/commentary/a-nation-in-crisis-why-healthcare-is-not-a-priority-in-the-philippines/
- Published: 2025-08-11T08:07:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:34:42.000Z
- Description: In a country where health is constitutionally recognized as a human right, the Philippine healthcare system remains chronically underfunded, inequitable, and inaccessible—especially for the poor. The evidence is overwhelming: healthcare is not a national priority, and our healthcare workers are…
- Author: Liam Demafelix
- Tags: Commentary, Government Neglect, Healthcare Funding, PhilHealth, Public Health, Public Hospitals, Universal Health Care

In a country where health is constitutionally recognized as a human right, the Philippine healthcare system remains chronically underfunded, inequitable, and inaccessible—especially for the poor.

The evidence is overwhelming: healthcare is not a national priority, and our healthcare workers are being driven out by neglect.

#### Healthcare Workers Are Leaving—Because We’re Failing Them

- The Philippines faces a shortage of at least 127,000 nurses, with fewer than 8 doctors per 10,000 people, far below the WHO standard of 10 per 10,000
- In Metro Manila, nurses earn as little as ₱12,000/month (\~$215)—a fraction of what they could earn abroad
- Over 300,000 Filipino nurses are now working overseas, leaving local hospitals understaffed and overwhelmed
- Many health graduates are unprepared for public health work, due to hospital-centric education and lack of community-based training

#### PhilHealth: From Lifeline to Liability

- In 2025, PhilHealth was defunded entirely, receiving zero allocation in the national budget
- Over ₱89.9 billion in PhilHealth funds were transferred to the national treasury, despite the agency having negative equity and a deficit of ₱663 billion
- This defunding violates the Universal Health Care Act and Sin Tax Law, which mandate government support for indigent healthcare
- Millions of Filipinos—including senior citizens, PWDs, and 4Ps beneficiaries—are now at risk of losing coverage.

#### Hospital Scarcity: A Death Sentence for the Poor

- Rural areas suffer from severe hospital shortages. In provinces like Cebu, patients travel 150 km or more for basic diagnostics like CT scans
- Infirmaries—often misclassified as hospitals—lack equipment, staff, and beds. Some operate without dental chairs or nebulizers
- In 2023, rural patients waited 30% longer for medical consultations than urban residents
- The Department of Health reports worn-out facilities, delayed referrals, and overcrowded emergency rooms across provincial hospitals

#### Out-of-Pocket Costs Are Crushing Filipino Families

- In 2024, Filipinos paid ₱615 billion out-of-pocket for healthcare—a 11.8% increase from the previous year
- These payments accounted for 42.7% of total health expenditure, nearly matching government contributions
- Healthcare is now the third leading cause of household debt in the Philippines

#### Call to Action

We must demand:

- Restoration of PhilHealth funding and accountability for fund transfers.
- Fair wages and career pathways for healthcare workers to stop the brain drain.
- Infrastructure upgrades in rural hospitals and equitable distribution of medical resources.
- Legislative protection for Universal Health Care and Sin Tax allocations.

Healthcare is not a privilege—it is a right. And every Filipino deserves a system that protects, not abandons, them.