Vice presidential candidate and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, along with presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, discusses their tandem’s platform of government as workers at the Mactan Export Processing Zone Authority (MEPZA) in Cebu City listen intently. PHOTO BY DUTERTE-CAYETANO TEAM
The tandem of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has vowed to ensure an orderly health care system in the country if elected in the upcoming national elections in May.
Citing a 2013 report by the Philippine Society for General Internal Medicine, Cayetano said 6 out of 10 Filipinos die without seeing a doctor.
“This is simply unacceptable! Sobra na ang gulo at hirap sa buhay ng tao. Pati serbisyong pangkalusugan, hindi maaasahan ng maraming Pilipino,” he said in a statement.
(This is simply unacceptable! The chaos and poverty besetting the lives of our people are too much. Filipinos cannot even depend on the health services offered [by the government].)
During the duo’s visit to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu on Thursday, Cayetano said the lack of proper health care adds to the disorder and suffering afflicting the Filipinos.
He then vowed to ensure the full coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Company (PhilHealth), the same promise made by President Benigno Aquino III in 2010.
Furthermore, the senator said he would push for the full implementation of PhilHealth’s “zero billing” services to its members.
He slammed the government “for telling the people that they have 100% coverage and for advertising its zero billing health services, when this is simply not true.”
“Pinaasa ninyo ang tao (You made false promises to the people). This had been the DOH (Department of Health) and PhilHealth system in the last few administrations. It’s time for real change,” Cayetano said.
However, even with a PhilHealth coverage, Cayetano said this would be useless without proper facilities in hospitals.
The vice presidential candidate laid out their plans to establish regional specialty hospitals in Visayas and in Mindanao if elected into office.
He said Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao should have their own heart center, kidney center, lung center, orthopedic center and children’s hospital and cancer research and treatment center.
These are national hospitals/centers found only in Metro Manila, Cayetano said.
“Through PhilHealth, sin taxes and the national budget, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao should have specialty hospitals. It is technically and financially viable and good for the people,” he said.
He said problems in the health care sector could only be remedied by leaders who have the courage and strength of character to create real change.
“Kailangan ng matapang na solusyon at mabilis na aksyon. Ito ang dala ko at ni Mayor Duterte sa eleksyong ito,” he said.The tandem of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has vowed to ensure an orderly health care system in the country if elected in the upcoming national elections in May.
(Courageous solution and swift action are needed. These are what Mayor Duterte and I bring to this election.) RAM
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