Improving access to health facilities, services for underprivileged Filipinos

The constant threat to our people’s health makes it more urgent for us in government to ensure that health facilities are funded sufficiently and eventually used to benefit our people. Newly built facilities are useless if they remain non-functional and without adequate personnel to operate them. All these things, often called white elephants, will just be a waste of public funds. 

As the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, we must not allow these to happen.

Hence, as we strive to provide our kababayans with better access to quality healthcare, it is also best to pinpoint the reasons for the slow progress in terms of the construction of our health facilities and the reasons why some Filipinos lack access to be checked and treated when their lives are already at stake.

That is why we jump-started the month last 2 April by conducting a Senate Committee on Health hearing to look into matters related to the health sector, especially the state of our health facilities, the welfare of our healthcare workers, and the utilization of government funds intended to bring public health services closer to our people. 

During the hearing, we tackled the proposed establishment of new and enhancements of existing public hospitals to get the commitments of the Department of Health (DoH), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and concerned local governments that they can ensure sufficient funds will be allocated for its operations should these measures be passed into law. We reiterated the need to ensure health facilities being constructed and run by the government will be fully operational to benefit their respective communities. 

To further improve access to health services, we emphasized the need to ensure the proper implementation of the Malasakit Centers Act, which I principally sponsored and authored before to ensure government funds intended for medical assistance programs of various agencies truly benefit poor and indigent patients. 

Lastly, we appealed to the DoH and DBM to prioritize the release of the Health Emergency Allowance for healthcare workers in accordance with the law that we pushed for during the pandemic. Despite the lifting of the state of public health emergency almost a year ago, healthcare worker groups raised complaints during the hearing that a number of them haven’t received their HEA. 

This must be addressed immediately, given that these are services rendered already, and the government, particularly those in the Executive branch, must ensure that laws are implemented accordingly and without further delays. As part of our appeal, we asked DoH and DBM to reconcile their records to accurately determine the remaining number of healthcare workers who haven’t received their HEA, how much is expected to be released this year, and the amount needed to fulfill all obligations so that this can be sufficiently funded in the coming years.

As your Mr. Malasakit, I will never stop advocating for the welfare of Filipinos and giving them the proper service they deserve. My work continues inside or outside the Senate, rain or shine, even on weekends and holidays. As I always say, “Bisyo ko na ang magserbisyo sa kapwa ko Pilipino (It is my habit to serve my fellow Filipinos).”

As your elected Senator and public servant, I will continue my mission of bringing government services closer to Filipinos in need. I am thankful for your continued trust and support. I will not waste the opportunity you gave me to serve the country and its people. Together, let us aim for a safer and more prosperous future where no Filipino is left behind when accessing the public services they truly deserve.