MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has made a P500 million partial payment for its P930 million debt to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) due to the COVID-19 tests conducted by the latter.

In a statement on Tuesday, PhilHealth said that the remaining balance would be paid according to government rules and regulations.

PhilHealth’s debt to PRC was for the COVID-19 tests of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who returned to the country following the pandemic’s economic effect worldwide.

“[PhilHealth] today released PHP 500 million as partial payment to the Philippine Red Cross. It will expedite processing of the remaining balance following strict compliance to government accounting rules and regulations,” PhilHealth said.

According to Philhealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dante Gierran, this move was also meant to shut down claims that the state-owned insurer has been reckless in managing premiums made by Filipinos.

“PhilHealth takes exception to the insinuation that it is reckless and is playing on people’s lives. Its prudence in taking charge of its members’ hard-earned contributions is central to the state health insurer,” Gierran explained.

“Its exercise of judiciousness is to protect the people and their funds,” he added.

PhilHealth was supposed to settle its debt on Monday, October 26, to resume its swab testing of possible COVID-19 patients. [ac]