Solon hits small health allocation in 2012 nat'l budget

MANILA, Philippines - A party-list representative today scored the "miniscule increase" in the health budget in the 2012 national budget, which was approved by Congress last night.

Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus said the approved health budget was "far off from the clamor of various health groups" as they are asking for an increase of at least P40 billion.

“The miniscule increase in the health budget approved by the Senate and Congressional bicameral committee is insulting to marginalized Filipinos," De Jesus said in a statement.

The House of Representatives ratified last night the bicameral conference committee report on the budget while the Senate’s ratification came hours earlier.

The approved budget for next year was P1.8 trillion, higher than the this year's national budget.

De Jesus said that the Department of Health (DOH) will receive an additional P200 million budget from the approved national fund and another P400 million was allocated for Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporation Hospitals.

She said that the P200 million increase in the DOH's budget, P100 million will go to East Avenue Medical Center, P50 million to Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, and P50 million to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. The P400 million, meanwhile, will be divided equally to Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

“For decades now, past administrations have neglected the people’s demand for quality health services. Now, the Aquino administration continues to perpetuate this callous inattention to the people’s clamor for quality health services and programs," De Jesus said.

Minority Leader Edcel Lagman voted against the approval of the budget citing "excessive" allocations for the Aquino administration's conditional cash transfer and public-private partnership programs.

Lagman said that the appropriations for the two programs could have been reduced for more funding for education, health and infrastructure.