Manila, Jan. 29 -- The Department of Health (DOH) affirmed its support to the proposed amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act as the House of Representatives passes House Bill (HB) 11357 on second reading Tuesday.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa specifically welcomed the amendment introduced by Acting Committee on Appropriations Chair Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo that would require the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to compute its budget and salaries based not on how much it would collect, but how much it would pay in benefits.

"President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., himself being a former provincial governor, knows that the heart of UHC is where operations is. His broad national perspective...