By Derco Rosal
At A Glance
- Government subsidies to state-run firms surged by 150.8 percent to ₱93.1 billion as of end-April, driven by a massive one-time release of funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PHIC)
Government subsidies to state-run firms surged by 151 percent to ₱93.1 billion as of end-April, driven by the massive, one-time fund release to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
According to the latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), total subsidies to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) jumped from ₱37.1 billion during the same period in 2025. This expansion was fueled by a record ₱66.3 billion in support in April alone, dwarfing the ₱14.5 billion released in the same month last year.
Notably, the massive April spike was driven by a ₱60 billion subsidy for PhilHealth. This represented the return of fund balances from unutilized subsidies following a Supreme Court ruling.
Treasury data showed that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) also boosted growth, receiving ₱3 billion as of April, compared to no subsidy in the first four months of the previous year.
Conversely, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) saw its allocation drop to ₱2.5 billion from ₱8 billion in 2025, even as it continued to receive funding under the Murang Kuryente Act.
In the agricultural sector, the government balanced food security needs with varying fiscal allocations. The National Food Authority (NFA) saw its four-month support more than double to ₱6.3 billion from ₱3 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), typically the largest recipient of state support, recorded a one-third decline in its total, falling to ₱7.8 billion from ₱11.8 billion last year.
Other GOCCs logged notable changes in funding. The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) received ₱1.8 billion, up by four-fifths from ₱975 million a year ago.
Additionally, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) saw its subsidy grow by 64 percent to ₱1.3 billion from ₱799 million. Among financial institutions, Small Business Corp. (SBC) saw its funding double to ₱1 billion from ₱502 million a year earlier.
Funding for specialized health centers remained a priority but showed mixed trends. The Philippine Heart Center (PHC) saw its support rise by nearly a tenth to ₱808 million.
Meanwhile, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) saw its four-month support drop by more than a quarter to ₱504 million from ₱688 million.
No comments:
Post a Comment