Kuya Bong pushes more health programs funding

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go recently expressed his concerns about the proposed budget cut for the Department of Health in 2024, stressing the critical importance of healthcare, particularly as the country continues to recover from the pandemic.

According to the 2024 National Expenditure Program. reductions are proposed in various healthcare programs. For instance, the Health Facilities Enhancement Program is slated to be cut from P26.8 billion in 2023 to P22.9 billion in 2024.

Similarly, the budget for the prevention and control of infectious diseases is proposed to be reduced from P5.8 billion to P4.8 billion.

The lawmaker — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health and vice chairperson of the Finance Committee — stressed that the government should allocate sufficient funds for health programs led by DoH.

He also highlighted the urgency of strengthening the healthcare system, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and amid the challenges, Go sees the pandemic as an opportunity to focus on areas that need improvement.

Go recounted his efforts to increase the DoH budget last year from P296 billion to P316 billion for 2023. He also mentioned his opposition to cutting the budget for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in 2019.

The senator also pushed for additional funding for the Cancer Assistance Fund, which was not initially part of the proposed 2023 budget as he plans to double the fund next year, acknowledging the financial and emotional toll cancer takes on families, especially those who are less fortunate.

In addition to his proposed budget increases, Go discussed his ongoing initiatives to bring medical services closer to the people.