Drilon wants P16.8B cut on DOH budget restored

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon (File photo by EDWIN BACASMAS / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — On Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon’s proposal, Senator Loren Legarda has agreed to restore more than half of the P28-billion cut from the Department of Health’s (DOH) budget.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, defended on the floor on Monday the proposed P79-billion budget of the DOH.

During his interpellation, Drilon lamented the P28-billion cut from the DOH, noting that the large cut of about P16.8 billion would largely affect the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

If the budget cut was not restored, the senator said, a number of health facilities that have either been wholly or partially completed would remain unutilized to the detriment of the poor and the vulnerable.

He cited, for instance, the 900 health facilities with 100 percent completed infrastructure and existing human resource but need equipment for licensing and/or Philhealth accreditation.

The budget for the equipment amounting to P7.4 billion was part of the P16.8-billion cut from the DOH’s budget.

Drilon also pointed out the 328 health facilities, which he said are at least 80 to 90 percent complete, but are in danger of being left unfinished due to the budget cut.

“This will have very adverse effects on our health program. Maraming mate-tenggang rural health units at district hospitals,” he said.

“These funds are necessary in order to enable the health facilities to deliver better services,” the senator added.

Drilon said the “massive cuts” in the population related positions like the DOH and the National Housing Authority were not consistent with President Rodrigo Duterte’s promise to increase investment on social protection.

“I don’t think we can face our people with the revelations that there are some districts which will get P2.4 billion for farm-to-market roads and yet, here, there are about 900 health facilities that are completed and manned but would not be able to operate because the budget was cut,” he said.

The Minority Leader was apparently referring to Senator Panfilo Lacson’s allegations that congressional “insertions” have been made in the 2019 national budget.

READ: Lacson: Brace for more ‘pork’ in 2019

“I don’t think that there is any argument that will justify the non-reinstatement of the budget,” Drilon said.

Responding to Drilon, Legarda said, “We will reinstate it to the last centavo.”

“I’d like to restore it in full and I’d want it to be a joint Senate and House amendment…” she added.

Legarda said the funds could be sourced from the unused budget of DOH, noting that as of September this year, the agency had only obligated 16 percent of its budget.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have already approved a measure extending until December 31, 2019 the validity of the 2018 appropriations for maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlays. /jpv