Duque: PH virus response ‘can’t afford’ a reenacted budget in 2021
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s health care system “cannot afford” to operate under a reenacted budget next year as it will hamper the government’s COVID-19 response, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.
“Kapag po re-enacted [ang budget], ang tatamaan po dito ‘yung COVID-19 response. Malaki po ang tama nito sa COVID-19 response,” Duque stressed during a Senate hearing on the proposed 2021 budget of DOH.
DOH’s proposed budget for 2021 amounts to P203.74 billion, which is 27% higher than its P176.46 billion budget this year.
“Kapag na-reenact ito we cannot afford [it] because of the circumstances. Kinakailangan talaga ng karagdagan,” Duque said.
Fears of a reenacted budget were triggered by the abrupt suspension of sessions in the House of Representatives on October 6. Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies in the lower chamber moved for the termination of the sessions until November 16 without approving on the third and final reading the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which contains the country’s proposed P4.5 trillion budget for next year.
READ: Budget ‘as good as reenacted’ due to Cayetano’s push for early break – senators
READ: Duterte: End House crisis or else
“Sa bakuna pa lamang ang gusto ni Pangulo 20 million ang mabakunahan,” added Duque, noting that the Department of Budget and Management only approved P3.5 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines next year.
“Kahit nagtaas tayo ng 27 percent eh kulang, paano pa kung reenacted. Mahihirapan po tayo at ‘yung programa naman kagaya ng measles, polio, hepatitis at iba pa pong mga vaccine-preventable disease eh doon naman po tayo magkakaroon ng mataas na kaso. Talo. Talo po. Mahihirapan po talaga,” the health chief said.
According to Duque, President Rodrigo Duterte’s target of inoculating 20 million Filipinos against COVID-19 needs about P12.9 billion.
Senator Pia Cayetano, who was presiding over the hearing, clarified that loans would augment the DOH’s budget to procure the COVID-19 vaccines.
“This was cleared in the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) hearing that the balance will be covered by loans because we are able to purchase this at a lower rate,” Cayetano said.
“It is not the intention not to have a budget for it but it is an economic decision that this will be procured by way of loan. Isn’t that correct, Mr. Secretary?” she asked Duque.
In response, the health chief said: “That is correct.”
“That is an option, a financing arrangement where the cost of the vaccines at about P12 billion or 13 billion will be by way of a loan with the [Development Bank of the Philippines] and Land Bank and the DOH will pay for this depending on the program of payback or payments,” Duque added.
