MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management slashed the funds for COVID-19 response, benefits for healthcare workers, and support for cancer patients proposed by the Department of Health.
During a budget briefing at the House of Representatives Monday, health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency proposed a budget of P95 billion for the government’s COVID-19 response for next year, but only P24.49 billion was approved in the National Expenditure Program for Fiscal Year 2023.
The NEP, which the executive branch submits the Congress, is the basis for the proposed national budget.
Asked by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) if the amount proposed was sufficient, Vergeire responded: "Looking at how we’re having this declining number of cases, we think this would be sufficient based on the response that we’re having right now. But if we’re going to prepare to procure the new generation of vaccines, we might be needing additional funds.”
Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo), a former health secretary, pointed out that the budget for the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, HIV, and monkeypox was cut.
"If you look at the comparison of the 2022 budget vis-à-vis the 2023 proposed budget, there is a reduction of 71.21%," Garin said.
A total of P5.84 billion was allocated for the procurement of commodities for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and control of infectious diseases.
Vergeire explained the decrease was due to the removal of personal protective equipment and GeneXpert cartridges for COVID-19 "given the available supply, changes in COVID testing protocols, and decrease in the number of cases."
Inadequate funding for health workers’ allowances
The DBM also did not approve the DOH’s budget proposal of P76 billion for the benefits and allowances of healthcare workers.
Under the National Expedition Program, P37 billion is allocated to public health emergency benefits and allowances for healthcare workers and non-HCWs. The budget comprises P19 billion programmed funds and P18 billion unprogrammed funds.
"We have submitted a total of P76 billion for us to be able to sustain the provision of these benefits and allowances to our healthcare workers. But we were only provided around three months [worth] of this P76 billion that we need," Vergeire said.
The agency also has arrears, or benefits owed to medical workers, worth P65 billion.
Health workers have been holding protests criticizing the cuts in the budget of the health department and demanding the release of all COVID-19 benefits.
Cancer assistance fund
The budget department also removed the allocation for the cancer assistance fund.
"Unfortunately, when we looked at our NEP, the cancer assistance fund was not there. So we did our appeal to the DBM, but still we were not given that approval," Vergeire said.
"So now were are ask for help and appeal to the House of Representatives to bring back the cancer assistance fund worth P500 million to our budget line item," she added.
The health agency’s proposed 2023 budget under NEP is P301 billion. According to Vergeire, 65% of the fund or P195 billion is allocated to the Office of the Secretary, while 35% is allocated to the department’s attached agencies and corporations.
Vergeire said the proposed budgets of the majority of the DOH’s attached agencies and corporations have decreased. — Gaea Katreena Cabico