DBM justifies budget cut on DOH key programs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday issued an explanation of the budget cuts in the Department of Health’s (DOH) Epidemiology and Surveillance Program, Health Regulatory Program, Public Health Program, and Health Emergency Management Program.

“Allow us to note that the national government is in a tight fiscal position. Thus, the DBM recognizes the need to carefully prioritize programs and projects,” the agency said in a statement.

DBM issued the statement after opposition lawmaker ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro slammed the budget cuts for the DOH’s key programs, saying it is “alarming.”

Specifically, Castro said the budget for the Epidemiology and Surveillance Program was slashed by P115 million.

She also noted the decrease in the funding for the following programs:

• DOH’s Public Health Program, including the COVID-19 Laboratory Network Commodities: decreased by P7.92 billion
• COVID-19 Human Resources for Health Emergency Hiring: decreased by P4.33 billion
• Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases: decreased by P4.17 billion.

The P2.72-billion budget for the procurement of Omicron vaccine booster shots is also unfunded so far, Castro said.

In response, the DBM explained that the National Expenditure Program (NEP) budget level for the Epidemiology and Surveillance Program for 2023 “pertains to budget proposals which were substantiated with details by the DOH.”

“Other items proposed for these programs were not supported with details and hence, had been considered as not yet ready for implementation,” it said.

Meanwhile, the “significant decrease” in the budget for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases is “due to the lower requirement for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requested by the DOH” for 2023.

This is from P5.304 billion in 2022 to P1.020 billion in 2023, the DBM said.

“According to DOH, the procurement of PPEs was already transferred directly to the hospitals,” it added.

The DBM also explained that when it allocates a budget, it also considers the agency’s utilization rate.

With this, it said the decrease in the provision for Public Health Management was “due to its low utilization rate.”

“Disbursement rate for this program in FY 2021 registered only at 76.7%,” the DBM said.

For the Health Emergency Program, the DBM said the DOH proposed a P752.341 million budget, which is lower by P61.484 Million compared to the 2022 budget of P813.8 Million.

Meanwhile, the decrease in the Health Regulatory Program’s budget, the DBM said, is “primarily due to the P4.7 Million congressional adjustment in FY (fiscal year) 2022 GAA (General Appropriations Act), which was not considered for FY 2023.”

The budget department likewise explained that no allocation was provided for COVID-19 Human Resource for Health Emergency Hiring for 2023 since the requirements for vaccinators will be chargeable against the local government units’ budget.

“On the zero provision for procurement of COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters, it is noted that a standby fund amounting to P22 Billion has been provided for vaccines under Unprogrammed Appropriations,” the DBM said.

The DBM also noted that despite the tight fiscal position of the national government, the health sector received a 10.4% budget increase at P296.3 billion in the proposed 2023 budget.

“This is inclusive of the budgets of the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation,” it said.

“Around P29 Billion has been allocated to purchase drugs, medicine and vaccines while more than P19 Billion has been allocated for the salary and benefits of healthcare workers,” the agency added.

The DBM also said P23 billion has been allotted for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), “which will fund the purchase of medical equipment as well as the construction, rehabilitation and upgrading of barangay health stations, rural health units, polyclinics, LGU hospitals, DOH hospital, and other various health facilities nationwide.”

“At any rate, the DBM yields to the collective wisdom of the honorable members of Congress if they find it meritorious to increase further the budget of the DOH as budget deliberations, hearings, and debates are being held this season,” it said. #

READ: Vergeire: Health workers’ benefits to suffer most from DOH budget cuts

JPV/abc