JANUARY 25, 2026 — Executive Secretary Ralph Recto has thrown a spotlight on a long-overdue issue: the middle class, the country’s most consistent taxpayers, must finally feel the benefits of zero balance billing (ZBB). In a meeting with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado, Recto stressed the need for “system-wide solutions that will ensure the ZBB is genuinely felt by Filipino patients.” His call is clear — expand PhilHealth packages so contributors see the return of their hard-earned pesos.

For years, ZBB has been hailed as a lifeline for indigent patients. By the end of 2025, more than 1.3 million patients in 87 DOH hospitals walked out without paying a single centavo, with P74.6 billion worth of bills fully covered. That’s impressive. 

But why should the middle class, who religiously pay taxes and PhilHealth contributions, still end up drowning in hospital bills? Isn’t it fair that they too deserve the same relief?

The 2026 budget tells us the government is serious. P448 billion has been earmarked for health, with P1 billion set aside to expand ZBB in LGU-run hospitals. Specialty hospitals like the Lung Center, NKTI, Heart Center, and Children’s Medical Center each get an extra P1 billion, while UP-PGH receives P800 million. Add to that the P60 billion PhilHealth subsidy ordered returned by the Supreme Court, and the numbers show a system gearing up for wider coverage.

But will the middle class actually feel it, or will they remain sidelined while subsidies continue to favor indigents and indirect contributors? 

Recto’s push is refreshing because it acknowledges a truth often ignored — the middle class is the backbone of the tax system, yet they rarely taste the benefits.

If taxpayers see that their contributions translate into tangible healthcare relief, confidence in government programs will rise. And maybe, just maybe, Filipinos will stop seeing PhilHealth as a burden and start seeing it as a true safety net.

Will the middle class forever be treated as the nation’s ATM, or will they finally get their share of relief?

(Image: PIA - Philippine Information Agency)