Rep. Castro: Number of unfilled DOH positions still huge at 16,230

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa speaks before the House panel on appropriation’s hearing on the 2025 proposed budget of the DOH on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. (Screenshot from Youtube/House of Representatives)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH)’s figures for unfilled positions are “still huge,” according to a lawmaker on Wednesday.

Alliance for Concerned Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro said this in a House panel on appropriations hearing for the proposed 2025 budget of DOH when she asked Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa about the department’s current figures of unfilled positions and contractual workers.

Herbosa said that the total number of job orders is 32,600 including all the attached agencies, while the vacant positions are 16,230.

“The number of our filled-up plantilla positions is 90,341. Ang unfilled positions natin, bumaba na po sa 16,230 sapagka’t ang ginagawa nga namin ay ‘yong mga job order at contract of service, kung sila po ay may civil service eligibility, inililipat na namin sila sa plantilla position,” Herbosa said.

(The number of our filled-up plantilla positions is 90,341. Our unfilled positions decreased by 16,230 because if those with job orders and contracts of service have civil service eligibility, we transfer them to the plantilla position.)

READ: PH has a shortage of 190,000 healthcare workers, says DOH

Plantilla positions are “permanent position items in the government with a corresponding authorized budget allotment in the annual General Appropriations Act.”

Castro then pointed out that the number of unfilled positions remains high every year and asked DOH what the “catch-up” plan will be.

“Malaki pa rin po itong 16,230 unfilled positions. Madam Chair, taon-taon na rin nating sinasabi itong ganitong kalaking unfilled positions sa DOH. So ano ba yung catch-up plan dito ng DOH para mafill-up-an itong data na 16,230 at mayroon kayong 32,600 na contractuals,” Castro asked.

(The total of 16,230 unfilled positions is still huge. Madam Chair, we have been pointing out these figures of unfilled positions of DOH every year. So what will be the catch-up plan of DOH to fill up the 16,230 [unfilled positions] and 32,600 contractuals.)

Herbosa then explained why the department’s figures for unfilled positions are high.

“Gusto kong ipaliwanag sa committee na may reasons din kung bakit mataas yung unfilled positions. Mayroon tayong bagong tayong ospital, mayroon tayong mga bagong tayong facilities so ito y’ung binibigay ng DBM (Department of Budget and Management) ‘yung position kasi by law, nacreate ‘yung ospital and hindi rin naman agad nafifill up ‘yun kasi it takes process to fill them up,” Herbosa noted.

(I want to explain to the committee why the figures for unfilled positions are high. We have newly built hospitals and facilities, and the DBM provides the positions for these because, by law, the hospitals were created. However, filling these positions takes time as it involves a process.)

READ: CSC reveals 203,000 gov’t posts remain unfilled

The Health secretary also said that employees resigning from their jobs to work abroad also add to the reasons for unfilled positions.

“Pangalawa, marami rin kaming current filled-up positions na magreresign, nakakuha ng trabaho abroad, bibitawan ‘yung position. It also takes time before we vacate and open up the position,” he added.

(Second, we have many current filled-up positions who are resigning because they received job opportunities abroad. It also takes time before we vacate and open up the position.)

Furthermore, Herbosa said they have implemented measures to fill up the positions. This includes forming a department order to fill up all the vacant items and targeting to reduce 20 percent from job orders by the end of June 30 and 50 percent by the end of November.

He also said that they created a task force to monitor the filling up of positions, such as using a digital method to see the facilities that have unfilled positions.

“In fact, the strategy is if your agency or your hospital continues to have unfilled positions after a period of time, I will get them all in the office of the secretary and then distribute them to the hospitals that want the plantilla,” Herbosa added.