House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto has expressed his disappointment over the reduction of P10 billion in the proposed budget for the Department of Health (DOH) for the fiscal year 2024.
In a statement released on Sunday, the representative from Batangas conveyed that the DOH’s requested “agency proper” budget for the upcoming year will experience a P10 billion decrease. This reduction takes the allocation from the P209 billion in the 2023 General Appropriations Act to P199 billion in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Recto attributed the reduction to “the substantial payroll and administrative costs associated with maintaining a large bureaucracy, coupled with the increasing debt service,” which has led to limited resources for social services.
“One major component of the DOH budget – Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases – has been earmarked 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,” he said.
As per the legislator, the allocation for the Medical Assistance for Indigents Fund has been diminished by P10 billion. This reduction takes it from this year’s P32.6 billion to the proposed P22.2 billion for the following year.
Furthermore, specialty hospitals, which include the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center, and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, have encountered a collective reduction of nearly P818 million, the lawmaker added.
DOH gets P10 billion budget cut for 2023
“Overall, the health services sector has a proposed cash-based budget of P325 billion for 2024, P2 billion lower than this year,” Recto said.
Nevertheless, the House deputy speaker has pledged to enhance the budget allocation for the health sector.
“[J]ust like in the past, Congress and the executive, in the spirit of cooperation, will find ways on how to increase the health budget,” Recto said.
A number of senators have also committed to thoroughly review the DOH budget once it arrives at the Senate.
“As it is, the budget of the four specialty hospitals is wanting and should be boosted to provide service to more Filipinos, especially the poor. A cut is not the way to go to have a healthy citizenry,” Senator Grace Poe said.
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