By Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA
MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday sought to restore part of the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Health (DOH) for the development of its health facilities and human resources.
During his interpellation, Drilon said the PHP24.2 billion budget cut can be restored using the additional funds allegedly “inserted” by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the budgets of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Drilon noted that the budget of the DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) was slashed by about PHP16.8 billion, while the budget for human resources for health was cut by PHP7.4 billion.
“We can source that (budget cut restoration) from either or both additions to the DPWH budget or the DILG budget. Would the gentleman accept an endorsement or amendment which would increase the budget of the DOH for a total of PHP24.2 billion subject to refinement?” he said.
Drilon said there is “sufficient fiscal space” to support the restoration of the DOH budget, particularly citing the PHP75-billion insertion into the DPWH budget and the PHP27.7 billion insertion in the DILG budget.
The Minority Leader noted that the additional funds were inserted without the knowledge of both the DPWH and DILG Secretaries.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, sponsor of the DOH budget, agreed with Drilon’s proposal.
Ejercito said reducing the HFEP budget would lead to a delay in functionality of health facilities due to lack of equipment, difficulty in compliance with standards, poor access to quality health care, affected implementation of the Universal Health Care Program.
“I think we can make sacrifices in other agencies but not in public health,” Ejercito said.
