Congress cuts P1 B for pills, condoms

MANILA, Philippines – Amid the soaring population and increase in HIV cases, Congress had removed P1 billion in this year’s budget of the Department of Health (DOH), which was intended for the procurement of contraceptives for the family planning program and condoms for human immunovirus prevention, Health Secretary Janette Garin said yesterday.

Garin said the budget was slashed during the deliberation of the House and Senate bicameral committee on the 2016 budget.

For this year, the DOH will get P122 billion.

“We had it in our budget. Congress approved the budget, but during the bicam conference, we were informed that the budget for all contraceptives has been removed. We learned about it on Monday,” Garin told journalists at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.