PH lags behind SE Asia countries in overall COVID-19 response fund — Duque

MANILA, Philippines — Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines lags behind in terms of its overall fund for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted Saturday.

According to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) COVID-19 Policy Database as of Nov. 30, the Philippines ranks sixth for COVID-19 response package, having a total of $21.6 billion.

Indonesia is the top Southeast Asian country to have the biggest budget for COVID-19 response, having $116.3 billion, followed by Singapore with $89.1 billion.

“I will have to admit that our fund in particular, yung COVID-19 fund natin, we are ranked number six,” Duque said in a forum for the “12.12” Universal Health Coverage Day.

“Kulang ito, pero kahit na kulang, ang hindi mapantayan yung mga kasama natin sa Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), pinapakita natin, tingin ko magaling pa rin yung ating naipakita dahil na kahit na kulang tayo sa pondo, we were able to deliver yung mga notable outcomes,” he added referring to the $21 billion COVID-19 response.

(This is lacking, but despite this, what other Asean countries cannot attain is that we were able to deliver notable outcomes.)

Such outcomes, Duque said, where the lowering fatality rate, as well as the reduction of active cases.

As of Dec. 12, the Philippines has 448,331 cases, of which 30,168 are active cases.

/MUF