Gierran to look into financial condition of PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — Newly-appointed PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran has listed his short-term goals as head of the state insurer, among them, to look into its financial condition.

“I will look into the financial condition of PhilHealth. I will examine the financial statements because there were allegations in the past that PhilHealth will not survive in two years,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel Tuesday.

“So I’ll have to know how much money PhilHealth has at the moment,” he said.

In previous congressional hearings, PhilHealth officials attested that the state insurer will be in dire conditions financially come 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In June, then PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales said the country’s health insurer’s “financial position will be very grim” since contributions have been reduced due to the public health crisis.

Meanwhile, last August, Nerissa Santiago, Acting PhilHealth Senior Vice President, and Concurrent Vice President of Data Protection Officer said the actuarial life of PhilHealth is only up to next year.

Gierran said he will look into PhilHealth’s special savings, treasury bonds, and corporate bonds.

He will also look into the subsidiary allegiance of some firms or persons to PhilHealth.

“Who are these companies or persons who still have accountability with PhilHealth so that we can demand payment from them to resuscitate the financial condition of PhilHealth,” Gierran said.

EDV