DOH can rely on other funding sources for combating COVID-19 – Go

Sen. Christopher Go (Photo from his office)

MANILA, Philippines — “We currently have enough funding to help DOH and other concerned agencies to promptly respond to the needs of our people amid the COVID-19 situation,” Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said in a statement issued on Monday, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte declared an “enhanced community quarantine” over the whole of Luzon.

READ: FULL TEXT: Duterte’s address on ‘enhanced community quarantine’

Last week, Go said that the House appropriations committee could only allocate P1.65 billion of the P3.1 billion requested by the Department of Health for use in responding to the COVID-19 threat.

READ: Other sources can boost DOH budget for fighting COVID-19, says Go

Go then enumerated the following sources of funding to boost the P1.65 billion certified by the Bureau of the Treasury as available for use:

• P2 billion from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
• P420 from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
• P539 million from the DOH savings

P81 million from the DOH Quick Response time

“We also have available Contingency Funds and NDRRMC [National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council] funds as standby sources when needed,” Go said in his Monday statement. “Additionally, the declaration of a State of Public Health Emergency allows LGUs to utilize their local disaster risk reduction management funds (LDRRMF) under RA 10121. ”

Go also noted that presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo and Secretary Fortunato dela Peña of the Department of Science and Technology had issued a joint statement that government funds would be sufficient for DOH, DOST and UP Manila’s National Institute of Health for the production of the COVID-19 diagnostic kits.

According to Go, a local private firm is capable of producing bigger quantities of these kits.

Willing to push for special session

“If the abovementioned sources prove insufficient, I will recommend to the President that he may call for a special session so that Congress could deliberate on the need to approve a supplemental budget,” Go said.

“Congress is currently on session break and some of our colleagues are also on self-quarantine,” he went on “Given the situation now, we should find ways to respond to the needs of our people, especially at this time when decisive government action is needed the most.”

Calling for bayanihan

“I appeal to the private sector — the industry players, business leaders, foundations and the like — to join hands and combine our efforts as we fight COVID-19 as one nation, as one people,” Go said.

“Threats of COVID-19 to the safety and lives of our people continue to grow. While the government is doing its best, we can help contain the spread of the infection if we adopt a whole-of-society approach,” he added

He said the private sector can do a lot to help by doing some of the following:

• release the 13th-month pay, even if pro-rated
• accept a moratorium on rental fees for renters and tenants
• grant a reprieve of one month from paying bills of basic utility providers
• allow work from home and flexible work schedule
• limit essential travels only and encourage everyone to stay at home

/atm