‘DOH to suffer P10 billion budget cut in 2024’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) may get an increase of P500,000 for its cancer fund, but overall, the agency stands to suffer a P10-billion budget cut next year, Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto said yesterday.

In a statement, Recto noted that this would bring to P2.2 billion the allocation for cancer control and cancer patient assistance funds in the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.

The “bad news,” however, is that the DOH’s proposed overall budget – pegged at P199.45 billion – will decrease by P10 billion from P209.62 billion under the General Appropriations Act of 2023, Recto pointed out.

The lawmaker, who represents Batangas’ sixth legislative district, blamed “the big payroll and overhead in maintaining a large bureaucracy, plus rising debt service” for boxing out social services.

“If the budget were a sculpture, then revenues are the clay from which it is made from. You cannot mold something big if you’re lacking in materials,” he said in English and Filipino.

The line item for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases has been earmarked with P1.7 billion, “a deep P1.2-billion cut from this year’s P2.9 billion, and even lower than the Palace’s original request of P2 billion for 2023,” according to Recto.

Overall, the health services sector has a proposed cash-based budget of P325 billion for 2024, P2 billion lower than this year’s amount.

“This computed (figure) is inflated because it includes the proposed P2.7 billion for the Veteran’s Hospital, which is under the Department of National Defense, the P1.3 billion for two agencies under the Department of Science and Technology,” Recto said.

The lawmaker maintained that it also includes “parked funds” amounting to P8.8 billion, which has been separated from the personnel benefit funds.

“Budget-wise, the DOH is still reeling from the effects of long COVID as shown by the proposed P20-billion allocation for ‘Public Health Emergency Benefits’ for health workers,” he said.

He emphasized that when the “arrears” of the frontliners are paid, it would lead to a big “budget space” for the DOH in 2025.