Palace adopts DOH 5-year development program

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has approved the five-year program of the Department of Health (DOH) aimed at developing the country’s health sector, Malacañang said yesterday.

Through Memorandum Circular 53 issued on June 4, President Marcos set into motion the DOH’s National Objectives for Health (NOH) for the period 2023-2028.

The NOH outlines the department’s “Eight-Point Action Agenda” for the improvement of the health sector.

These are Bawat Pilipino ramdam ang kalusugan (every Filipino feeling healthy); Ligtas, kalidad at mapagkalingang serbisyo (safe, quality and compassionate service); Teknolohiya para sa mabilis na serbisyo (technology for prompt services); Handa sa krisis (crisis-ready); Pag-iwas sa sakit (disease prevention); Ginhawa sa isip at damdamin (mental and emotional comfort); Kapakanan at karapatan ng (welfare and rights of) health workers and Proteksyon sa anumang pandemya (protection against any pandemic).

Marcos directed all national government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations, and local government units (LGUs) to support and cooperate for a successful implementation of the NOH 2023-2028.

The medium-term strategy is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 for the development of the country’s health sector under the Marcos administration, anchored on “AmBisyon Natin 2040,” the memorandum said.

As the lead agency in the implementation of the NOH 2023-2028, Marcos ordered the DOH to formulate and disseminate plans and guidelines for ensuring that stakeholders have comprehensive understanding of the program and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework is in place for its implementation.

The DOH is also mandated to facilitate capacity-building programs and workshops for LGUs and relevant stakeholders; coordinate and collaborate with private sector, civil society organization and international bodies and ensure a participatory approach by involving communities, beneficiaries and such other relevant stakeholders.

The DOH is also tasked to ensure that strategies under the NOH 2023-2028 are integrated, as applicable, in the annual operations plans of LGUs.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier said the President was expected to issue an executive order creating the Universal Health Care (UHC) Coordinating Council that would keep track of the spending of the special health fund by the LGUs.