‘Kuya Bong’ pushes enhanced DoH budget
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has stressed the significance of the Department of Health’s budget for the nation’s post-pandemic recovery during the plenary debates for the 2024 budget of the agency last Wednesday.
“I want to underscore the importance of the 2024 budget of the DoH in our path towards recovery,” said Go, adding that now is a critical time to invest in the healthcare system to meet emerging challenges.
The lawmaker — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health and vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee — inquired about the specifics of DoH’s budget request, to understand the additional funding sought and the prioritization of various health programs.
Senator Pia Cayetano, senior vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, responded that the Senate increased the DoH budget by nearly P50 billion from the proposed P306.13 billion to P353 billion, outlining the extended support for health initiatives.
Go has expressed his support for the budget increase, noting his advocacy for enhanced health facilities, especially public hospitals that predominantly serve the underprivileged.
To recall, Go championed the goal of bringing healthcare closer to the grassroots through the integration of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s Konsulta package with Super Health Centers, which are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection, thus bolstering primary healthcare services across the nation.
Cayetano confirmed the enhancement of PhilHealth’s budget to P101 billion, with P21 billion allocated for benefit package improvement, including the Konsulta package.
Meantime, Go turned his attention to the newly passed Regional Specialty Centers Act, probing into the allocation for the establishment of specialty centers in DoH hospitals as he highlighted the importance of the initiative.
“We passed the Regional Specialty Centers Act. P10 billion is already included in the committee report for the implementation of this law. This is a multi-year program,” Go said.
The measure which Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors in the Senate, aims to decentralize specialized medical services, enabling patients in the provinces to receive advanced medical care without the need to travel to Metro Manila.
An important highlight of Go’s interpellation was the discussion on Malasakit Centers, a cornerstone of his healthcare advocacy. He inquired about the progress and impact of these centers.