Senate committee approves DOH’s P160-B budget for 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The P160.148 billion proposed budget of the Department of Health (DOH) for 2020 was approved on Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Finance, but the agency was required to submit reports on medicines and other equipment that remain undistributed.

“With no senators wishing to ask questions, the budget of the Department of Health and its attached agencies and corporations are hereby approved on the committee level and are deemed submitted to plenary, taking into consideration the discussions today,” Senator Bong Go, chairman of the Sub-committee F of the Senate Committee on Finance said during the budget hearing of the agency.

The proposed budget of the DOH is P9.3 billion lower than the current P169.4 billion budget for 2019 due to the reduction in its capital outlay.

During the hearing, Senator Francis Tolentino cited reports on some equipment that remain undistributed by the DOH to local government units.

Health Secretary Francisco said the department would look into these reports.

With this approval on the committee level, the budget of the DOH will be submitted to the plenary for deliberations.