DOH chief defends increase in family health budget

MANILA, Philippines - Secretary Enrique Ona yesterday defended the increase in allocation for the family health and responsible parenting program of the Department of Health (DOH) that jumped from P731 million this year to P2.503 billion for 2012.

Ona admitted the increase in the allocation for the program for next year would be for the purchase of condoms and contraceptives.

During yesterday’s hearing on the DOH budget at the Senate, Ona outlined the programs for the P2.5-billion family health budget, mostly allocated for supplies. 

The Senate is deliberating on the proposed P42-billion national outlay for the DOH.

Ona mentioned during the budget hearings that most of the DOH budget would include the purchase of vaccines for senior citizens, micro-nutrients, maternal-child nutrition, newborn screening, rural units with birthing facilities, and obstetrics and neonatal care program.

Ona though did not mention the programs for population control or the purchase of condoms and contraceptives, which earned the ire of pro-life advocates, including Sen. Vicente Sotto III, during the budget deliberations.

Ona later admitted after the hearing that the DOH had included the budget for condoms in the 2012 budget. 

“When we talk about family health and responsible parenthood, there are many aspects about it, so we did not physically put a percent or even an amount,” Ona explained.

Ona was also vocal about his support for Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which he says is in the context of responsible parenthood. 

“I also want you to know that we are very clear by the fact that we are against abortion,” Ona told reporters.

Sotto clarified he wanted to know from Ona if the programs and goals of the DOH in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are in place and if they are successful.

“Apparently, they are successful and there is much to be desired in the enhancement of health facilities... but they are getting there,” Sotto said.

Sotto said the DOH’s programs on family health and responsible parenting could be the best argument against the passage of the RH bill.

“The DOH is the best argument against RH bill because they are practically doing everything that the RH bill wants to do. This is in place already,” he said.

Sectors apparently supported Ona and called on lawmakers to heed the clamor for a comprehensive reproductive health program.

Ramon San Pascual, executive director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), said results of the recent Social Weather Stations survey reaffirm the need for government to act on the reproductive health needs of Filipinos.

“Surveys have been consistent for two decades now in showing that the majority of the Filipino people want the government to provide RH services, particularly family planning methods,” San Pascual said.

He said the government should adopt a law to implement mechanisms and resources for family planning.

San Pascual said the RH bill has undergone numerous public consultations and exhaustive discussions since the proposal was filed in the 10th Congress.

Elizabeth Angsioco, chair of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), said more people are getting convinced about their right to choose and make decisions for themselves on family planning matters.

“The high public approval rating for government-funded family planning program is a very strong reinforcement of similar results from previous surveys conducted by prestigious survey institutions such as SWS and Pulse Asia,” Angsioco said.

“These results show a very clear statement favoring the passage of the 16-year old reproductive health bill still pending in Congress,” she added.

The RH bill, now being debated in Congress, promotes sex education and allows for both natural and artificial means of family planning, among others.

The measure is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church and other pro-life groups. 

Former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo warned the Church is playing a “dangerous” game in pushing moral responsibility on the lawmakers supporting the RH bill.

“It is very dangerous for the church to use the state to impose their version of morality. I respect the right of the bishops and priests to promote their teachings of morality but they have the pulpits for that,” Nemenzo said.

Nemenzo said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) may have its “version” of what is moral but putting pressure on politicians to attain its end on the controversial measure is not a good political move on the part of the Catholic hierarchy.

“They (bishops) should have used the pulpit and other media accessible to them. But not pressure on congressmen and senators. If you’re politically weak, you don’t let the votes for you be counted in public... it would have been better if it (CBCP) avoided getting entangled in an issue like this,” Nemenzo said.   – With Helen Flores, Reinir Padua