Health financing and budgeting practices for health in the Philippines

The Philippines has placed a strong emphasis on achieving Universal Health Coverage. In recent years, earmarked funds from new alcohol and tobacco taxes have substantially increased government funds available for health. This additional funding offers great potential to improve access and health outcomes, as long as the money is well spent. An important pre-requisite for effective spending is a strong budgetary process for health. In terms of budget formulation and planning, the Philippines government has – at the national level – introduced a comprehensive package of public financial management reforms that apply across all sectors.