Public office is a public trust. This is a fundamental concept that has been serving as a paramount guide for us, public servants, in exercising powers merely entrusted to us by the people, for the people.

This same principle guided us during the weeks of budget deliberations and the subsequent bicameral conference committee meeting that finally bore fruit to the 2023 General Appropriations Act signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 16 December.

I congratulate my fellow legislators and fellow servants of the people from various offices and agencies who tirelessly worked during the whole budgeting process. This budget is very important and critical as we are gradually undertaking our inclusive recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I am also particularly happy that we have a significant funding for key health-related programs we fought for, such as medical assistance for indigent patients; construction of more Super Health Centers and specialty centers; Cancer Assistance Fund; hiring of immunization vaccinators to strengthen our immunization program for other diseases, especially for our children; funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for expanded free dialysis coverage, mental health outpatient coverage, comprehensive outpatient benefit package including free medical check-up, and other improvements in benefit package; and mental health program, among others.

I cannot overemphasize how important it is for us to look after the health and well-being of our people. Poor access to health services, inadequate medical facilities, and exorbitant hospital fees are particularly damning for our ordinary working Filipinos who can ill afford to miss a day's wage, more so spend their income on anything other than food and other bare necessities.

Just as we took pains to consider the most pressing concerns of our Filipino people while crafting the GAA, I hope that all our public officials would likewise remember that the funding for the allocations contained therein is from the hard-earned money, the blood, and sweat, of every taxpaying Filipino. Thus, not only should we totally thwart corruption, we must likewise ensure that not a single centavo of the public funds is wasted.

Every centavo, every peso goes a long way in our continuous battle against rising inflation, unemployment, pandemic, and other issues that bar our people from enjoying a more comfortable life.