Strengthening Phl healthcare system

One's state of health may directly and immediately affect one's earning capacity. Especially for many of our average Filipinos who could only take home a fair day's wage. For a fair day's work, getting sick has particularly dire implications.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I am glad that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has recently directed our Department of Health to refocus on other public health concerns alongside the campaign against Covid-19.

We must continue prioritizing general public health to promote the overall well-being of the Filipino people. Our plans should include intensifying our fight against tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infections, among others, commonly afflicting Filipinos, which have serious consequences for the affected individuals and the population at large.

By making the campaign against HIV and TB infections a priority, for example, we can ensure that the necessary resources are allocated to prevent and treat these conditions and protect vulnerable individuals and the community from their devastating effects.

Of course, that does not give us a free pass to let up on our efforts to combat Covid-19. Indeed, we have come a long way in our fight against the pandemic. We can now afford to have less strict minimum health protocols, largely because of our solid vaccination efforts that began under the previous Duterte administration. The DoH recently announced that starting January 2023, it will already integrate Covid-19 management into our other public health programs and will no longer be a special program.

However, while many no longer view controlling the spread of the virus as the most urgent national concern compared to rising inflation, as long as Covid-19 is still around, it poses a real threat to our lives and livelihoods. Continued public vigilance is thus needed, especially this holiday season.

Getting to fully celebrate the holidays this year with our friends and loved ones is already an early gift for all of us. My only wish this year is for every Filipino to have a healthier and happier life ahead.

To help achieve this, I filed several measures to ensure our preparedness against potential health threats and protect our people from these threats.

Apart from pushing for measures and initiatives to improve our country's healthcare system, given the time and opportunity, I also continue personally assisting some of our most vulnerable communities across the country.

Last 6 December, I was in Noveleta, Cavite, to personally lead our relief operation for 1,333 typhoon victims in Barangay San Antonio. This was followed by another outreach activity on 8 December, when I personally delivered support to 400 of my struggling fellow Batangueños in the town of Malvar.

My team also carried out relief efforts in other parts of the country last week to support more of our fellow Filipinos, especially the needy, the hopeless, and the helpless, amid the ongoing pandemic and other crises.

In particular, we provided relief to fire victims, including 24 families in Marikina City, 80 more in Las Piñas City, and 17 individuals in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

We also assisted indigent residents. In Laguna, 107 beneficiaries in Cavinti, 200 in Lumban, and 500 more in Luisiana. In Batangas, there were 1,666 recipients in Alitagtag, 77 in Malvar, and 833 in Santa Teresita. Moreover, we aided 333 in Unisan and 1,500 in Lopez in Quezon province. Likewise, we helped 600 residents in Cavite City.

More financially incapacitated residents received aid from our team, including 300 in Tayug, Pangasinan; 750 in Limay, Bataan; 1,400 in San Isidro, Davao Oriental; and 384 in Quezon City.

Finally, there were 2,169 beneficiaries in San Marcelino and Castillejos and 709 in San Felipe, Zambales; 1,602 in Asturias and 1,000 in Balamban, Cebu; and 569 in Sta. Rita and 522 in Villareal, Samar.

To reiterate, it is our job in the government to ensure everyone has access to affordable healthcare. A strong healthcare system can help prevent and control the spread of diseases and also plays a key role in promoting public health and reducing healthcare disparities.

Moreover, an enhanced healthcare system can help support economic growth and development by enabling individuals to live healthier, more productive lives. Ultimately, strengthening our healthcare system is essential for our society's overall health and well-being.