Gordon: PhilHealth pays half of P800-M debt to PRC for COVID-19 tests

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has paid P400 million of its over P800 million debt to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for COVID-19 tests, PRC Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said Friday.

“Nakabayad sila. From P800 million plus, naging P399 million ang utang. Nakabayad sila ng P400 million,” Gordon said in a televised briefing when asked about the status of PhilHealth’s debt to the PRC.

(They have paid. From P800 million plus, their debt became P399 million. They paid P400 million.)

READ: PhilHealth’s debt to PRC for COVID-19 tests rises to P800M — Gordon

“Pero araw araw, syempre nagtetest tayo, dumadami ang test. Kahapon nag-test kami 10,000. Syempre tataas nanaman yan kaya dapat wag na nating palakihin para hindi alanganin,” he added.

(But we conduct tests every day. Just yesterday, we conducted 10,000 tests. Of course, it will increase again that’s why we shouldn’t wait for it to swell.)

Last year, the PRC suspended COVID-19 tests for the government after PhilHealth failed to settle almost P1 billion it owed for previous tests.

The PRC resumed its full COVID-19 testing for the government after PhilHealth settled half of its debt.

/MUF