Subsidies extended by the national government to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) climbed in September, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed.
Thirty-one state-run firms secured P54.70 billion, a 179.34-percent rise from P19.58 billion in the same month last year.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) accounted for the bulk, or P29.75 billion, of total subsidies in the month.
PhilHealth is responsible for administering the country’s health insurance program, particularly the Universal Health Care program that aims to provide Filipino families equitable access to quality and affordable health care services.
The Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) followed with P12 billion, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with P7.54 billion, and the Small Business Corp. with P1.25 billion.
Also receiving assistance in September were the Local Water Utilities Administration, Light Rail Transit Authority, National Food Authority, National Power Corp., Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Cagayan Special Economic Zone, Credit Information Corp., Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Dairy Authority, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care, Philippine Postal Corp., People’s Television Network Inc., Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Social Housing Finance Corp., Southern Philippines Development Authority, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority.
The September figure boosted the year-to-date government subsidies to surge by 21.36 percent to P151.49 billion from the year-earlier figure of P124.83 billion.
State-run companies with the biggest funding assistance in the first nine months of the year were PhilHealth with P58.90 billion; NIA with P31.57 billion, and LandBank with P30.48 billion.
Subsidies fell under the national government’s disbursements program.
State spending in September rose by 39.01 percent to P415.1 billion from P298.6 billion a year ago, boosting the year-to-date tally by 5.5 percent to P2.62 trillion.
In 2018, the government gave away a record P136.652 billion in subsidies.
