House realigns P200-M to DOH, P500-M to UP-PGH

MANILA, Philippines — The House has realigned some P200 million and P500 million to augment the proposed 2020 budget of the Department of Health (DOH) and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), respectively.

House appropriations committee chair and Davao 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab bared this Thursday as their small committee continues to accept congressmen’s institutional and individual amendments to the proposed P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget which the chamber passed last Sept. 20.

Of the P200 million additional fund, Ungab said P100 million was allotted for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of National Center for Mental Health and the other P100 million for the Quick Response Fund of the DOH which could be used to help address the polio outbreak in the country.

Some P500 million would also be realigned to the Hospital Services Program of UP-PGH for the provision of its medical services, according to Ungab.

“We confirm that this augmented amount will be sourced from the allocated budget for SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) & Barangay elections,” Ungab added.

Speaker Alan Cayetano earlier confirmed that Congress would move for the postponement of the 2020 local polls to May 2023 so the budget allotted for it could be used for other programs.

READ: P10-B House realignment in 2020 budget to postpone barangay polls

Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin, former DOH secretary, had said DOH’s P88-billion budget in the 2020 spending bill decreased by P10.6 billion from its 2019 level of P98.6 billion. /je

READ: Funds for health cut by P10 billion