The move allowing PhilHealth members to be admitted to vacant pay ward beds in government hospitals is a positive development that aligns with an existing practice long allowed under current rules, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said.

“Sometimes the problem is not the absence of a new policy, but the failure to use what is already allowed,” Cayetano said, following reports that PhilHealth members may now be admitted to pay wards without additional charges when basic wards are already full.

Cayetano said the development reflects issues he raised last year during Senate deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Health, particularly on how government hospitals manage available beds during periods of congestion.

During the budget debate, Cayetano asked Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa about the practice of leaving pay ward beds vacant even when basic wards are already at full capacity, particularly in large government hospitals.

“If you go to PGH or any other government hospital at puno ang basic ward, ano ang remedy ng pasyente? Kung may bakante na pay ward, hindi ba pwedeng gamitin iyon?” he said.

Herbosa responded that patients may be accommodated in pay wards if these are vacant, especially during congestion, but noted that the practice depends on hospital policy.

“Pwede. We can actually allocate to pay ward and get a patient there lalo na kung bakante siya,” Herbosa said, adding later that only some hospitals currently do this.

When Cayetano asked whether the practice was being applied across all government hospitals, Herbosa acknowledged the variation and expressed openness to formalizing the arrangement.

Cayetano stressed the importance of making full use of available hospital resources, especially during overcrowding, to ensure patients are accommodated promptly.

“All Filipinos deserve the best social services. We must make better use of available facilities so patients are accommodated promptly and not left waiting for care. We want to make sure that no Filipino is left behind when it comes to health care,” he said. ###