40% of 2021 DOH budget to be aligned with UHC, resiliency vs infectious diseases
MANILA, Philippines — The bulk of the Department of Health’s (DOH) P182-billion proposed budget for 2021 will be aligned with the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law and with the improvement of the health system resiliency against infectious diseases like the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
During the online meeting of the joint congressional oversight committee on the UHC law on Tuesday, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde noted that 2021 would be the first year that DOH’s proposed budget would be “generally aligned” to the UHC.
“Priority one is related to the implementation of UHC and linked closely to this UHC is our proposal for health system resiliency, particularly in terms of responding to emerging infectious diseases,” he explained.
According to Villaverde’s presentation, P53.20 billion or 29 percent will be allocated for UHC implementation-related programs while P20.89 billion or 11 percent will be for the Health System Resilience for Emerging Infectious Diseases or Pandemic-related Proposals.
“These are interrelated and most of the provisions of universal healthcare can also be adopted in terms of our response to emerging infectious diseases,” the DOH official noted.
“So you can see here that the bulk or the major proportion of the budget proposal will actually be going to UHC and the health system resilience,” he added, referring to the chart he presented before the committee.
Article continues after this advertisementMeanwhile, DOH placed other health law-related proposals enacted by Congress in the last two to three years as its proposed budget’s second priority where 19 percent or P35.11 billion will be earmarked for.
Article continues after this advertisement“So we have incorporated into the budget proposal several laws like the cancer law, the HIV/AIDS, the first 1,000 days, the notifiable disease act and so on,” Villaverde said.
Urgent and compelling health needs, like programs for tuberculosis and rabies control, were identified as the third priority with a P37.83-billion allocation. Some P35.08 billion will be aligned for other DOH operations.
Later in the joint congressional hearing, Sen. Richard Gordon mentioned a 39-percent drop on the government’s sin tax collection for the first half of 2020.
Gordon noted that sin tax collections decreased from P102.7 billion in January and May 2019 to P63.1 billion in the same period this year.
“Obviously this will affect the universal health care…How will the DOH now fund UHC in light of drop in sin taxes?” he asked.
In response, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the DOH would consult with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to “guide us in recalibrating the budget that will enable us to have the maximum impact next year.”
“So far, we have prepared our 2021 budget with the assumption that we are still on full implementation reflecting the new normal,” he said as he agreed with the senator that the drop in sin tax collections was “lamentable.”
“I think this is really going to materially impact the successful implementation of the Universal Health Care Law,” Duque added.
“But we will manage. We just have to make some adjustments, but hopefully we’ll even work harder to get the best value for money,” he further said.
Health sector a budget priority
DBM Assistant Director Jane Abella, meanwhile, told lawmakers that the health sector is among the budget priorities for 2021.
“We take note of the proposed budget of DOH and we take note also of the observation of Senator Gordon regarding the probable reduced certification of the DOF on the sin tax,” Abella said.
“Nevertheless, we are now crafting the 2021 budget. Taking note of the requirement of the DOH and based on our budget priority framework—which DBM released already a national budget memorandum — DOH or the health sector is one of the priorities in the 2021 budget,” she added.
The UHC law, which seeks to give all Filipinos health care coverage and benefits, was enacted into law in February 2019.
The law’s implementing rules and regulations was signed in October of the same year.
In his opening statement, Duque said the coronavirus crisis was a “critical moment” to fast track the country’s transition to universal health care, given that the pandemic exposed the “faults” in the current health system and underscored the need to “heal” it.
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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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