Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 26) — It seems the local hospital bills debated by Senators Franklin Drilon and Christopher “Bong” Go cannot be funded this year after all.
Drilon – the Senate Minority Leader, and Go – the chairman of the Committee on Health, reached a consensus on Wednesday to source the funding for additional hospitals and hospital beds from the Department of Health’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) budget for next year.
The Senate approved on second reading nine of the local health bills sponsored by Go.
Drilon initially identified this year’s ₱7.5-billion HFEP budget as a funding source, and “if insufficient,” the miscellaneous personnel benefit fund (MPBF) and the pension and gratuity fund (PGF) for 2021 and 2022.
“I beg the good sponsor to accept this proposal because this will make the health facility improvement more credible dahil po may kasamang appropriation. Kung wala ito, e pwedeng sabihin ng taong bayan e niloloko niyo lang kami (because it has appropriation. Without it, the people can say we’re just deceiving them),” Drilon said.
Go said the MPBF and PGF funds are meant for health care workers, and retired military and uniformed personnel, respectively. Citing a request from the Department of Budget and Management, he asked if the bills can be funded under the 2022 General Appropriations Act instead.
Drilon protested at first. Since the bills are being prioritized and may be signed into law this year, funds should be made available, he said.
“I hope that Mr. DBM whoever you are there should stop foisting on the Senate these proposals which are clearly improper because it is so obvious that you are trying to avoid funding these hospitals,” the veteran lawmaker said.
The session was suspended for a few minutes so the senators can settle the issue. When it resumed, Drilon proposed amendments appropriating up to ₱4.8 billion under the 2022 GAA to increase the bed capacity of four health facilities, and establish five general hospitals in different parts of the country.
Drilon and Go had a heated argument last week when Go accused Drilon of delaying deliberations on the hospital bills. Drilon grilled Go about renationalizing two hospitals when they should be under the control of local government units under the law.
Citing Senate records on Tuesday, Drilon said it was Go who sat on the local health bills, which had been pending in his committee for more than a year. Go admitted his committee failed to submit the measures to the plenary earlier due to restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
