Continuing our fight for better health funding
Higher case rates and new benefit packages are welcome reforms, but the real measure is whether patients actually feel the difference when they receive their hospital bills.
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Higher case rates and new benefit packages are welcome reforms, but the real measure is whether patients actually feel the difference when they receive their hospital bills.
Every peso we allocate is important to Filipinos who need medicine, treatment, or a safe place to seek care. I have always believed that health is wealth and government investments should therefore reach the people.
During the Senate committee hearing on the Department of Health’s (DoH) 2027 budget on 4 September, we emphasized the need to make our health programs work better, particularly in communities that remain far from hospitals and specialized care.
As the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, we stressed that Super Health Centers must be operational to address the concerns of our fellow Filipinos and should not be left as “white elephant” projects. We have more than 7,000 islands, and many Filipinos still travel for hours by boat or through mountainous roads just to reach a hospital. The DoH and local government units must complement each other to ensure that these facilities are completed and operational.
The same applies to our Regional Specialty Centers. We are one of the authors and the principal sponsor of Republic Act (RA) 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which mandates the establishment of specialty centers in qualified DoH regional hospitals to bring services such as cardiovascular, cancer, renal and other specialized care closer to Filipinos in the provinces. Not everyone can afford to travel to Manila for treatment. Healthcare should not depend on where a person happens to live.
We must also continue improving the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). Through 14 Senate Committee on Health hearings we conducted in the previous Congress, we worked to hold PhilHealth accountable, leading to reforms, such as the repeal of the Single Period Confinement Policy and other anti-poor policies, and the expansion of coverage for emergency outpatient services.
Consequently, the agency also lifted the 45-day annual limit on hospitalizations for members and their dependents, which allows continued coverage for illnesses. We were also able to push for increased case rates across the board to significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.
However, higher case rates and new benefit packages are welcome reforms, but the real measure is whether patients actually feel the difference when they receive their hospital bills. We must continue increasing coverage so Filipinos no longer have to fear hospitalization or beg for assistance just to receive treatment.
This is where programs like the Malasakit Centers become more important. We are the principal author and sponsor of RA 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which consolidates access to medical and financial assistance from concerned government agencies in one location. We commend the DoH for assuring the continued funding and operations of important facilities like Malasakit Centers.
During the same hearing, we said that more than 9,000 positions remain unfilled in the DoH. I urge the national government to give this priority, especially for our healthcare workers, so that they no longer have to go abroad to seek employment. We also called on the Department of Budget and Management to address the remaining Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) claims. Until now, years after the Covid pandemic, we still hear calls from health workers for HEA to be released. These allowances are long overdue.
We also raised the importance of halfway houses for relatives and watchers of patients. These provide temporary shelter for patient companions who would otherwise face sleepless nights in waiting areas or costly stays elsewhere. The idea of halfway houses started years ago in Davao City during the administration of then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
The facilities, whether already constructed or in various stages of development, are located at Quirino Memorial Medical Center, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Southern Philippine Medical Center.
As your senator, I will continue to fight for better funding for the health sector. Ang pondo sa health ay dapat gamitin sa health ng Pilipino!
