congressional recordrep. alvarez (f.). mr. speaker, i move that we take up the budgets of the...

Vol. 1 Wednesday, September 24, 2014 No. 17f

Congressional Record16th CONGRESS, SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

RESUMPTION OF SESSION

At 10:00 a.m., the session was resumed with Deputy Speaker Roberto V. Puno presiding.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The session is resumed.

The Asst. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. ALVAREZ (F.). Mr. Speaker, I move that we take up the Additional Reference of Business.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

The Secretary General will please read the Additional Reference of Business.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE OF BUSINESS

The Secretary General read the following House Bills and Resolutions on First Reading, and Committee Report, and the Deputy Speaker made the corresponding references:

BILLS ON FIRST READING

House Bill No. 5033, entitled:“AN ACT BANNING THE USE OF CELLULAR

PHONES OR SIMILAR DEVICES INSIDE BANKS AND PROVIDING PENALTY FOR VIOLATION THEREOF”

By Representative PanchoTO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER

AND SAFETY

House Bill No. 5034, entitled:“AN ACT GRANTING BENEFITS TO LONG

TIME CONTRACTUAL TEACHERS AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

By Representative PanchoTO THE COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION

AND CULTURE AND THE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

House Bill No. 5035, entitled:“AN ACT REQUIRING ALL PEDESTRIAN

OVERPASSES TO BE MADE CLIMATE CHANGE FRIENDLY, AND PROVIDING P E N A L T Y F O R V I O L A T I O N THEREOF”

By Representative PanchoTO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS

AND HIGHWAYS

House Bill No. 5036, entitled:“AN ACT MANDATING ALL BANKING

I N S T I T U T I O N S T O O F F E R A N AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE THEFT INSURANCE TO ALL CLIENTS, PROHIBITING FRAUDULENT CLAIMS RELATIVE THERETO, PROVIDING P E N A LT I E S A N D F O R O T H E R PURPOSES”

By Representative RomuloTO THE COMMITTEE ON BANKS AND

FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

House Bill No. 5037, entitled:“AN ACT DECLARING PILIS FALLS IN THE

MUNICIPALITY OF SAMAL, PROVINCE OF BATAAN AS AN ECO-TOURISM SITE AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR”

By Representative RomanTO THE COMMITTEE ON TOURISM

House Bill No. 5038, entitled:“AN ACT REQUIRING SUBDIVISION

A N D C O N D O M I N I U M O W N E R S AND DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE R A I N W A T E R W E L L S A N D COLLECTORS IN THEIR SUBDIVISION O R C O N D O M I N I U M P R O J E C T S AS PART OF FLOOD MITIGATION MEASURE”

By Representative OcampoTO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS

AND HIGHWAYS

2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

* See ANNEX (printed separately)

RESOLUTIONS

House Resolution No. 1517, entitled:“A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE FILIPINO

PEACEKEEPING CONTINGENT TO THE UNITED NATIONS DISENGAGEMENT OBSERVER FORCE (UNDOF) STATIONED AT THE GOLAN HEIGHTS REGION FOR EXHIBITING UNPARALLELED VALOUR AND FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE AREA EVEN UNDER HEAVY FIRE”

By Representative EvardoneTO THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL DEFENSE

AND SECURITY

House Resolution No. 1518, entitled:“RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE HOUSE

COMMITTEE ON GOOD GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY TO INVESTIGATE, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, T H E E X A C T A C C O U N T I N G O F COCO LEVY FUNDS INCLUDING THE AMOUNTS HELD IN ESCROW, ACQUIRED ASSETS, DIVIDENDS AND INTERESTS EARNED OVER THE YEARS IN LIGHT OF THE NATURE OF THE FUNDS AS PUBLIC, AND ENSURE THAT THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF POOR COCONUT FARMERS”

By Representative Garin (S.)TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES

House Resolution No. 1519, entitled:“A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE HOUSE

COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SERVICES TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE REPORT ON THE DSWD’s SEEMING MISHANDLING OF RELIEF GOODS FOR YOLANDA VICTIMS AS COULD BE GLEANED FROM THE ‘REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF TYPHOON YOLANDA RELIEF OPERATIONS’ OF THE COMMISSION ON AUDIT”

By Representative CasteloTO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES

ADDITIONAL COAUTHORS

The list of additional coauthors is reflected in Journal No. 17, dated September 24, 2014. *

COMMITTEE REPORT

Report by the Committee on Health (Committee R e p o r t N o . 4 3 6 ) , r e H . N o . 5 0 4 2 , entitled:“ A N A C T E S T A B L I S H I N G A

C O M P R E H E N S I V E P H I L I P P I N E PLAN OF ACTION TO ELIMINATE TUBERCULOSIS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR”

recommending its approval in substitution of House Bill Nos. 259, 299 and 3178

Sponsors: Representatives Eriguel, Tan (A.) and Magsaysay

TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Asst. Majority Leader is recognized.

SUSPENSION OF SESSION

REP. ALVAREZ (F.). I move to suspend the session, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The session is suspended.

It was 10:02 a.m.


At 10:52 a.m. the session was resumed.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The session is resumed

The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

CONSIDERATION OF H.B. NO. 4968Continuation

PERIOD OF SPONSORSHIP AND DEBATE

REP. BANAL. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I move that we resume the consideration of House Bill No. 4968, and that the Secretary General be directed to read only the title of the measure.


The Secretary General is hereby directed to read only the title of the measure.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 3

THE SECRETARY GENERAL. House Bill No. 4968, entitled: AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY-ONE, TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION FOR THE URBAN POOR

REP. BANAL. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I move that we take up the budget of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, and for this purpose, may we recognize the Hon. Maria Carmen S. Zamora and, if I may, let us also please recognize the honorable Asst. Minority Leader, the Hon. Lino S. Cayetano.


The Honorable Cayetano is recognized.

REP. CAYETANO. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, on the part of the Minority, we would like to move to terminate the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

I so move, Mr. Speaker.


REP. BANAL. The Majority joins the Minority in terminating the period of sponsorship and debate insofar as the budget of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor is concerned.



The period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor is hereby terminated.


REP. BANAL. I move to suspend the session for a few minutes.


It was 10:54 a.m.

RESUMPTION OF SESSION At 11:02 a.m., the session was resumed.



PRESIDENTIAL LEGISLATIVE LIAISON OFFICE

REP. NOEL. Mr. Speaker, I move that we resume the consideration of House Bill No. 4968, and take up the budget of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.

Mr. Speaker, I also move that we recognize the Asst. Minority Leader, Rep. Lino S. Cayetano.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office is hereby opened and the Honorable Cayetano is recognized.

REP. CAYETANO. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Upon consultation with the Minority and a short dialogue with the PLLO, the Minority would like to move to terminate the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.



REP. NOEL. On the part of the Majority, we join the Minority in terminating the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved. The period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office is hereby terminated.


REP. NOEL. I move to suspend the session, Mr. Speaker.


It was 11:03 a.m.



At 11:34 a.m., the session was resumed.



DANGEROUS DRUGS BOARD AND PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

REP. ALVAREZ (F.). Mr. Speaker, I move that we take up the budgets of the Dangerous Drugs Board and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and recognize the Hon. JC Rahman A. Nava, M.D. for his sponsorship.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Gentleman from the Lone District of Guimaras, the Hon. JC Rahman A. Nava, M.D., is recognized to sponsor the budgets of the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.We are ready and are submitting the budgets of the

Dangerous Drugs Board and the PDEA for 2015, and are also ready to entertain questions on the matter.


REP. ALVAREZ (F.). Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize the Hon. Jose “Lito” L. Atienza Jr. from BUHAY Party-List for his interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Gentleman from the Party-List BUHAY, the Hon. Jose “Lito” L. Atienza Jr., is recognized for his interpellation.

REP. ATIENZA. Salamat po, Mr. Speaker.With the kind permission of the Chairman, we

would like to ask some basic questions about the two agencies.

REP. NAVA (J.). Willingly, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Una po iyong Dangerous Drugs Board, could you give us a better idea exactly on the primary functions of this very seemingly insignificant, but very, very important agency of government that is supposed to be addressing our problems with the growing menace of drugs in the country. Ano po ba ang masasabi nating primary functions nitong tanggapan ng Dangerous Drugs Board?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Dangerous Drugs Board plans and formulates policies and programs on drug prevention and control, Mr. Speaker. It also develops and adopts a comprehensive, integrated, unified and balanced national drug abuse prevention and control strategy.

It has several functions. Among those are to formulate, develop, and establish a comprehensive, integrated, unified and balanced national drug abuse prevention and control strategy. It is also tasked to promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. It also conducts policies, studies, program monitoring and evaluations, and other researches on drug prevention, control and enforcement.

They have so many functions, Mr. Speaker. It is also tasked to initiate, conduct and support scientific, clinical, social, psychological, physical and biological researches on dangerous drugs and dangerous drugs prevention and control measures; to develop an educational program and information drive on the hazards and prevention of illegal use of any dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursor, and essential chemical based on factual date, and disseminate the same to the general public, for which purpose, the board shall endeavor to make the general public aware of the hazards of any dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical by providing, among others, literature film, displays of advertisements by coordinating with all institutions of learning, as well as with all national and local enforcement agencies in planning and conducting its educational campaigns program to be implemented by the appropriated government agencies. There are several more if we go into the details of its functions, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Salamat po, distinguished Congressman Nava.

How would you differentiate the purpose and the functions of the Dangerous Drugs Board with that of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the PDEA?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Dangerous Drugs Board is more on the policy-setting while the PDEA is the implementing arm, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Ang PDEA po ang lumalabas na enforcement.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. The Dangerous Drugs Board prepares the program.



REP. ATIENZA. Sino po ba ang Chairman ng Dangerous Drugs Board ngayon?

REP. NAVA (J.). He is Antonio Villar, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Could we hear it again?

REP. NAVA (J.).Antonio Villar.

REP. ATIENZA. Antonio Villar?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Nandito po ba siya ngayon? Is he around?

REP. NAVA (J.). He is still on leave, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. He is around.

REP. NAVA (J.). He is on leave, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Ah, he is on leave. So, who is the top personality officer of the DDB now?

REP. NAVA (J.). We have here with us the permanent members and Executive Director, and as well as the members of the board.


REP. ATIENZA. So, the members of the board are here present.

Mr. Speaker, may we ask for a one-minute recess.


It was 11:42 a.m.


At 11:46 a.m., the session was resumed.


The Honorable Atienza may continue his interpellation.

REP. ATIENZA. Salamat po.May we get from the Chairman of the Committee,

the distinguished Congressman Nava, and the ones

leading the PDEA today, mayroon po ba silang set-up of who is the chief implementor of the enforcement arm of the drugs problem?

REP. NAVA (J.). Director General Arturo G. Cacdac Jr. is present today, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. May we now ask some questions related to his functions.

REP. NAVA (J.). Willingly, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. With the presence of the Director General and the Sponsor’s representation, may we ask what are the main functions of the PDEA according to the mandate that they are given.

REP. NAVA (J.). The mandate of the PDEA is to serve as the implementing arm of the Dangerous Drugs Board and shall be responsible for the efficient and effective enforcement of all the provisions on any dangerous drug and/or controlled precursor and essential chemicals, as provided in Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. It shall implement the new Anti-Drug Law, eliminate the supply of illegal drugs and exterminate demand for the same, prevent and control drug-related crimes, and provide drug-free communities for the Filipino people, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Gaya po ng nasabi ninyo kanina, ang PDEA ang enforcement arm ng ating paglaban sa problema ng drug menace sa bansa. As the enforcement arm, how would you classify, as I am sure you have been briefed by them on the drug situation in the country, ano po ba ang kanilang pananaw ngayon sa problema ng droga ng ating bansa sa kasalukuyan?

REP. NAVA (J.). To date, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, of the total 42,065 barangays, 21 percent or 8,688 of which are considered to be drug-affected, while 79 percent or 33,377 are unaffected. The 8,688 drug-affected barangays are categorized depending on the degree of affection. They are categorized into three categories, namely: category one, which is seriously affected; two, moderately affected; and three, slightly affected. Those that are seriously affected are described as those that have suspected existence of at least one drug laboratory warehouse, den, dive or resort, and these comprise to about 9.7 percent of the total 8,000 plus affected. Those that are considered moderately affected are barangays that have at least one suspected pusher or trafficker operating in the community. There are


5,377 that were identified comprising about 61.88 percent. Slightly affected are classified as those that have identified drug users in the community but no known drug pushers or traffickers are operating in the area. There are 2,565 that were identified as comprising about 29.52 percent, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The profile is mostly mid-aged, 29-year old, male, single, usually unemployed, or 38 percent of these are unemployed, 32 percent are in college level and mostly are situated in the urban area and, in particular, the NCR comprises 47.7 percent of those affected, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, nakikinig po ako sa ating kagalang-galang na Chairman Nava on the drug situation in the country. I have to admit, medyo nadi-disorient ako dahil parang iba yata ang bansang binabanggit niya. Hindi po ang nangyayari ngayon sa ating sariling lupa, sa sarili nating bansa because if there is one problem today that is affecting practically all barangays, I would say all, in Metro Manila and probably in the provinces, I would give it a very liberal 50 percent of the barangays being affected. But as I said, in Metro Manila, I would say that all barangays are affected by the drug situation whether they belong to Classes A, B, C, D or E, and we do not need to have the PDEA to tell us anything about it. All we have to do is go to any community today, and if you ask and discuss with the community leaders what the main problem is affecting them and their families, it is the drug situation.

Crimes are being committed especially in the urban areas, as the other night, pinatay po ang ina ng isang kilalang artista. The other night, mayroon pong mga barangay leaders na napatay sa kanilang pagharap sa problema ng droga sa kanilang lugar. So, the picture being painted by the report of the PDEA, as narrated by our Chairman, ay mukhang hindi ito ang nakikita ng ating mga mamamayan at hindi ito ang nararamdaman natin. We have a big problem and we have to admit this; otherwise, we will never find a solution.

Distinguished Congressman Nava, nabalitaan po ninyo siguro ang mga latest crimes committed, at siguro, alam ng PDEA ang mga krimen na naganap sa mga nakaraang buwan nitong taon na ito. E halos lahat ng crimes against persons and properties are all drug-related. Mga drug addict pong pumapatay, nangho-holdup, gumagawa ng krimen. E hindi yata nakikita ng PDEA ito o baka wala naman silang kakayahan. Magkano po ba ang badyet ng PDEA na hinihingi sa susunod na taon?

REP. NAVA (J.).The new proposed appropriation, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, is P897,359,000.

REP. ATIENZA. Magkano po?

REP. NAVA (J.). Eight hundred ninety-seven million pesos po.

REP. ATIENZA. Eight hundred ninety-seven million pesos to fight the drug problem in the Philippines, iyon po ba?


REP. ATIENZA. Aba e, hindi ako nagtataka na wala silang nagagawa. E kung ganoong kaliit ang budget nila, palagay ko ay wala pong kakayahan ang ating PDEA ngayon kaya ang kanilang mga datos ay baka datos ito ng mga 20 years ago. Ang age median nila ay beynte nuwebe anyos. Ang mga bata po ngayon, teen-ager, gumagamit na ng droga. Ang pumapatay po ay ang mga batang mga lango sa droga. If they do not know this, we have a problem, Mr. Speaker. We have a serious problem.

Would they deny, as I would want to direct this question to them, that the drug problem now is aggravated, lumalala po at hindi po ito nasusugpo? Hindi natin nakikita ang anti-drug campaign down to the communities of the country. They may wish to put in on record, as I ask them now, are they satisfied with their own performance and the way they are handling the drug situation?

REP. NAVA (J.). The PDEA admits, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, that the illegal drugs continue to flourish and remain as a problem. In fact, looking into the recent apprehensions would tell us that there are more volumes that were apprehended compared to last year, particularly on methamphetamine products, including other drugs like ecstacy. It also recognizes that new emerging drugs are getting out of the community like the so-called “fly high,” Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. So, the PDEA admits that the illegal drug trade is flourishing. That is why it needs the cooperation of other law enforcement agencies, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, with P800 million, it would be impossible for the PDEA to be effective in their anti-drug campaign. That should be a fact. That should be an accepted truth that we have to address. If there is one problem now affecting the country, it is the drug problem affecting our youth. Alam ba ninyo, ang droga sa urban areas, lahat ng eskwelahan, lahat ng pamantasan ay mayroong drug problem? Ang pagbebenta ng droga ay hayagan na ngayong ginagawa sa lahat ng mga lugar na pinupuntahan ng mga kabataan. The most exclusive schools in Metro Manila are all drug distribution centers, we can assume. So, I would like to ask the PDEA what are they doing to address this situation.


REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency actually proposed a P1.761-billion budget. Unfortunately, what was approved for them was P897,357,000 only. The PDEA, based on its mandate and functions, continue to oblige their duty with a total of over 1,895 personnel, Your Honor. It was only last year to this year that they slowly came up with the establishment of more laboratories in other regions because since 2002 until I think last year, there was only one laboratory that existed for the whole country, which is only here in NCR. But since 2013 to date, I think they added several more in other regions. They established 16 other laboratories, which is essential in our fight against illegal drugs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. So, this is one of the highlights as far as the thrust of this government to rid our communities of illegal drugs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Are you saying honorable Congressman that it is actually P1.7 billion that they are requesting for next year, and not P890 million?

REP. NAVA (J.). So this is the proposal that was submitted to the Department of Budget and Management, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Doon po sa pondong hinihingi nila, ilan po ba ang magiging bilang ng mga drug agents or enforcers who will be addressing the problem of this growing menace to society? Ilan po ba ang masasabi nating kabilang doon sa kanilang puwersa at ng kanilang mga ahente o tauhan na maaari nating asahan dito sa pagharap sa problemang ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). Presently, we have about 800 agents with the P1.7 proposal. This would add to an additional of about 200 agents, more or less, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. So, mga 1,000 po ang ahente?

REP. NAVA (J.). A little bit more than 1,000 with the budget of P1.7 billion.

REP. ATIENZA. To address the problem of 42,000 barangays in the country?

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, what is employed is only about 700 plus and there are still vacant positions to be filled up. If that can be filled up, that would be about 800. With the proposed budget of new appropriation of P897 million, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, they have some elbow room to add additional hundred more agents, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, mahirap naman sigurong tanungin pa natin ng anumang tanong ang ating colleague na si Congressman Nava on the problem because, obviously, the PDEA or the Dangerous Drugs Board are not in the position to explain to the nation, especially to this Body, exactly what is the size of the problem and how they look at it, and how they would want to address it more effectively than today. So, hindi ko na po masyadong tatanungin o sisiyasatin ang mga detalye nitong programang itong nakikita natin, at sa palagay ko naman, tatanggapin ng lahat na hindi po ito epektibo sa pagsugpo sa problemang ito.

I will not belabor the point anymore because, as I have been hearing, and I do not want my colleague to be answering or giving out very embarrassing answers to clear questions that we are asking. What I am asking here now are not my questions, Mr. Speaker. These are the questions being asked by our people. What is the government or what is this administration doing to address the growing problem of drug pushing in every community?

Palagay ko, hindi makasasagot ang ating Chairman nang malinaw sapagkat siya ay limitado sa report na ibinibigay sa kanya ng dalawang ahensiyang pinag-uusapan natin. But the mere fact that the Chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board is not even present here today displays a total lack of interest on his responsibilities. The details being provided by the PDEA to our honorable Congressman Nava are definitely distorted, to say the very least. Hindi po iyan ang totoo, kaya mag-usap man tayo rito ng dalawang buwan ay hindi pa rin tayo magkakasundo sapagkat talaga po namang malalang-malala ang problema ng droga na parang hindi nabibigyan ng pansin.

Nais ko lamang magbigay ng mungkahi sa kanila kung sila ay kulang sa pondo at kulang sa tao. Maaari naman silang humingi ng tulong sa mga mamamayan. We can altogether fight the drug situation, together with all the local mayors, local barangays, local kagawads, and local tanods. Noong isang araw, may napatay na mga tanod sapagkat sila ang humarap sa problema.

Paaalalahanan ko na lamang ang ating mga lingkod sa PDEA na kung maaari siguro silang magtapat sa kanilang sarili na hindi nila magagawa ang trabaho nang maayos. Mabigyan man natin sila ng P1.7 billion, mabigyan man natin sila ng mas malaki pang salapi, e kung hindi po talaga organisado at hindi handa ang mga may hawak ng tungkulin ay wala pa rin pong mangyayari. But to start with, I am calling the attention not only of this Congress, but I am also calling the attention of the Executive Department; I am calling the attention of the DBM that we have to give them a bigger budget. They cannot survive, much less be efficient with that measly budget of one point something billion to address this size of a problem.


Kung mayroon pong problema ang Pilipinas ngayon na masasabi nating apektado ang lahat, lalung-lalo na po ang ekonomiya natin ay ang problema ng droga. Ano ang sabi nitong latest negative campaign against the Philippines? Hindi raw ligtas ang mga namumuhunan dito at hindi rin ligtas ang mga bisita natin dito. Para daw wala tayong pagsisikap na iligtas ang mga pumupunta rito sa ating lupa at sa ating bansa sapagkat sila ay napapabayaan sa kamay ng mga kriminal. More than 75 percent of crimes committed now in the country are all drug-related or drug-influenced. That is how big the problem is. So, this Representation cannot see whatsoever how we hope to even attract visitors in the country, much less investors in the country, if the peace and order conditions are not addressed effectively.

Now, we are hearing and we are seeing the spectacle of our drug enforcement agency, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the two agencies primarily given the mandate of addressing the crime situation indirectly or directly, with the drug-related crimes being committed as displaying their inability to perform effectively. Kaawa-awa po ang ating bansa. Kaawa-awa po ang ating mga mamamayan. Kaawa-awa ang mga anak ninyo at mga anak natin sapagkat sila ay biktima ng drug problem ngayon na hindi man lamang natin namamalayan malamang…

Ano ang ginagawa ng ating pamahalaan? E, wala po tayong maisasagot sa kasalukuyan. We are facing a blank wall because our two agencies concerned with fighting the drug menace are unable to perform at all. I do not see any way the PDEA will be able to function with this kind of a budget.

Iyong ating CCT budget, ipinamimigay po itong perang ito at P64 billion ang hinihingi. Iyong ating mga lump-sum appropriations for the different departments, hindi po natin malaman kung saan napupunta. Daan-daang milyon ang ibinibigay sa lahat ng ahensya, sa lahat ng pulitiko samantalang ang Dangerous Drugs Board at saka ang PDEA ay bibigyan lang natin ng P1.5 billion. There is something wrong with the priorities of the government. We are putting this on record that today, we are definitely looking at a very ineffective anti-drug campaign in our beloved country. Unless we do something about this, all our children will be growing up in a society where drugs will be one of the most commonly used escapism for all their problems.

Now, there is even a measure pending in this House to legalize the use of marijuana. Iyan po ay medyo kinikilabutan ako, banggitin ko lang iyong legalizing marijuana ostensibly for medical purposes. Iyan po ang umpisa, medical purposes, the same way that abortion was legalized in many parts of the world only for those victimized by crimes. Ngayon naman heto tayo, legalizing marijuana for medical purposes when in reality, we will be making the young dependent on marijuana. Iyan po ang simula ng pagkakasira ng ating

magandang hinaharap sa ating bansa. Ang pag-asa natin sa mga kabataan ay maglalaho kapagka hindi natin hinarap ng buong puwersa ang mga kabalbalang nangyayari sa mundo ngayon na nandito na sa ating bansang Pilipinas.

At this point, Mr. Speaker, I am just putting it on record that the budget, as distributed now, very obviously is not in accordance with good, effective management of the problems that are affecting us. Most, in a greater manner, are given a dismal amount samantalang iyong mga pondong pampulitika na ipinamimigay sa mga botante ay hindi po malaman kung papaano palalakihin at palalakihin pa. Magkaroon sana tayo ng konsensiyang tama, and that both Members of Congress and those tasked in the Dangerous Drugs Board and the PDEA that we have to wake up to reality. Kaawa-awa po ang mga kabataan ngayon dahil hindi po sila nabibigyan ng proteksiyon ng ating pamahalaan.

I would urge the PDEA na kung hindi nila kaya ang trabaho ay gamitin nila ang kapulisan. Huwag silang maging seloso sa kanilang mandate na kapagka gumagalaw iyong isang local police force ay nagkakaroon pa ng hidwaan. I would urge them to coordinate with all the police departments all over the country, coordinate with all the barangay leaders all over the country, and wake up society that we have a problem, and I am waking up all our Members of Congress na magising tayo sa katotohanan, baka tayo ay ligtas sapagkat tayo ay hindi gumagamit ng droga, pero iyong mga kabataang lumalaki ngayon ay nabibilad sa problemang ito. I hope we also admit the reality that the responsibility now rests on our shoulders. We cannot escape from this challenge, we cannot shirk from our responsibilities. There will come a time when people will look back and say, “Dumaan sa Sixteenth Congress ang problemang iyan, hindi nila pinansin.”

This Representation from BUHAY Party-List, would like to put it on record, that we have tried waking up everybody to the problem of drugs, and drugs distribution which is actually unabated in many areas. Pumunta ka lamang sa isang cocktail lounge, ngayon makakabili ka na ng droga, at makakabili ka na ng Ecstasy. Pumunta ka sa anumang bahay-libangan at magtanong ka, at makakakuha ka ng anumang drogang gusto mo. Ganoon ka-open ang ating distribution ng droga sa Pilipinas ngayon simply because there is no agency that is really, effectively fighting this situation and the problem of drugs distribution. If they think the reports would sink-in and justify the incompetence even of the campaign that they are waging, they will not change the records that are now registering everywhere. The drug situation has deteriorated to a point where this is now challenging the stability of the state. I would say that if there is any challenge to the stability of our


country ay ito po iyong drug problem sa ating bansa at nakalulungkot marinig at mailagay sa ating lathala at sa ating records na wala tayong pag-asang na nakikita pa sa kasalukuyan. We should all dream of one day addressing the drug situation and that the Filipino will be saved from this world menace. We have to now admit the truth that it is not forthcoming next year or under this present government. Kailangan po nating tanggapin ang katotohanan upang tayo ay makahanap ng solusyon. Rather than ask any more questions to the Gentlemen comprising the Drugs Enforcement Administration ay wala na po akong masasabi kung hindi bigyan sila ng konsensiya at baka iyong mga anak nila o apo nila ang mabiktima at wala po silang masisisi kundi sarili nila.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.



REP. ALVAREZ (F.). I move to suspend the session for a few minutes, Mr. Speaker.


It was 12:17 p.m.


At 12:19 p.m., the session was resumed.



REP. TUGNA. Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize the Hon. Lino S. Cayetano from the Second District of Taguig.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Honorable Cayetano is recognized.

REP. CAYETANO. Mr. Speaker, on the part of the Minority, I would like to move to terminate the period of sponsorship and debate on the budgets of the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.



REP. TUGNA. Mr. Speaker, the Majority joins the Minority in the motion.


The period of sponsorship and debate on the budgets of the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is hereby terminated.


REP. TUGNA. I move to suspend the session, Mr. Speaker.


It was 12:20 p.m.





DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, INCLUDINGATTACHED AGENCIES AND CORPORATIONS

REP. TUGNA. Mr. Speaker, I move that we open the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Health, including attached agencies and corporations. And for that purpose, Mr. Speaker, may we recognize the Sponsor of the agency, the Hon. JC Rahman A. Nava, M.D., from the Lone District of Guimaras.


The Gentleman from the Lone District of Guimaras, the Honorable Nava, is recognized to sponsor the budget of the Department of Health, including attached agencies and corporations.

REP. NAVA (JC.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.The Committee is now ready to entertain

clarifications or questions with regard to the budget of the Department of Health, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.


REP. TUGNA. Mr. Speaker, may we recognize the Hon. Leah S. Paquiz of Party-List ANG NARS.


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The Lady from the Party-List ANG NARS, the Honorable Paquiz, is recognized for her interpellation.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Good morning to the DOH family and to our dear

Mr. Sponsor.Before I proceed, I would like to reiterate to the

DOH that I asked some documents I raised in the budget briefing dated September 4, 2014. The following have not been submitted to me: one, projects, activities and programs (PAPs) of primary health care from 2011 to 2013 and the corresponding budget allocated to implement the PAPs with corresponding beneficiaries and recipients; number two, the number of health workers and their respective areas where they are deployed under the rural health program of (a) doctors to the barrios, (b) nurses deployment programs and DOH rural health midwives program, and (c) the number of job orders, contracts of service from 2013 to the present; number three, the staffing pattern with the list of hospitals compliant, both private and public thereto, and thus, given license to operate by the Bureau of Licensure. Instead, the Revised Standards on Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern of Government Hospitals, CY 2013 edition was given. This is not the responsive document that I am asking for.

I also asked for the list of Magna Carta benefits for public health workers from 2013 and its recipients. However, the rules and regulations and the grant of compensation related to Magna Carta benefits for public health workers or the Joint Circular of the DBM and the DOH was furnished to our office. This is not the responsive document that I am asking for.

I requested for public and private partnership contracts of the Philippine Orthopedic Center and other DOH hospitals, modernization contracts of government hospitals such as the Philippine Heart Center and the Philippine Lung Center. In lieu of this, a list of centers of excellence on PPP in health detailing the projects under implementation, approval or on-conception stage was submitted to our office. Again, this is not the responsive document that I am asking for. I am asking for the contracts. The last one is the board resolution of the PCMC’s board of trustees on its plan on the PCMC’s land use. Are the documents ready?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, as to the PPP contracts, the Department requests for some more time because of the voluminous documents. It is composed of several volumes, and up to today, they are still in the process of preparing it. We would like to apologize for the delay.

As far as the other request is concerned, those that were submitted to the office of the Honorable Paquiz include those reports on benefits and the impact of drugs

and medicines, the primary health care programs from 2011 to 2013, and the corresponding budgets and target beneficiaries included under the MDG outcome in the roadmap that was already submitted as well.

The list of benefits of Magna Carta was also submitted, I think, as far as the DOH is concerned. The original request for the staffing of public and private hospitals, it was only mentioned, I think, is the standard staffing and that was already, I think, complied with. The number of job orders/contract of services from 2013 to the present is still being prepared and we would like to assure, Your Honor, that we will follow up on this and we will submit it eventually. The Philippine Children’s Medical Center board resolution on land use was also submitted before September 4, I think.

REP. PAQUIZ. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, out of the seven requests, I only received this at 9:00 a.m. today the report on the benefits and impact of the drugs and medicines, but all others, as what I have said, they are not responsive to the documents that I am asking for because this is very important for the interpellation that I will be doing today.

I was just thinking, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, should we temporarily defer the budget of DOH in consideration of these requests?


REP. NAVA (J.). One minute suspension of the session, Mr. Speaker.


It was 12:42 p.m.




The Honorable Paquiz may continue her interpellation.

REP. PAQUIZ. So while waiting for the documents, I will continue with the interpellation, Mr. Speaker and Mr. Sponsor.

I have my premise that ang 2015 proposed budget po ng DOH ay P89,906,295,000. Ito po ay more than 200-percent increase mula po noong 2013 budget na P42,107,368,000 lamang. So, makikita po natin sa screen ang comparative budget na aking sinasabi: 2013 is P42 billion; 2014 is P87 billion; and 2015 is P89 billion.

My question, nakita po natin ang pagtaas ng budget ng DOH sa administrasyon na ito. Pasimula po sa P42


billion noong 2013, ngayon pong 2014 ay naging P87 billion, tumaas po siya ng P44 billion. Maaari po ba naming malaman kung ano ang basehan at pinagkunan ng paglobo ng pondo noong 2014 na nagkakahalaga ng P44,995,390,000?

REP. NAVA (J.). If you look into the increases, I think, the significant increase is from the subsidy to PhilHealth premiums, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, because it started from P12 something billion, it increased to about P35 billion, and then this year, it will be P37 billion, plus, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, ibig ninyo pong sabihin, kaya siya tumaas ng almost 200 percent is because of PhilHealth?

REP. NAVA (J.). If we look into the Sin Tax Law, the incremental increase would be provided for several items in the DOH budget. The initial budget in 2013, if you look into it, was only P53 something billion, and an additional, about P30 billion, was provided for this year’s budget, which corresponds to the Sin Tax Law. It was stipulated that the utilization of these incremental increases from sin taxes and among those that should be provided are those for the universal health care coverage, which is the premium for PhilHealth among the indigents under the NHTS, which are also provided with a significant increase, practically, considering that there is none that existed before it was the Medical Assistance Program, as well as those for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. So, these are the items that had significant increases, including those with public health, I think.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, bago po ako umalis doon sa Table 4 na iyon, I just would like to reiterate or to point out that the Office of the Secretary has the highest growth rate of the budget, from P39 billion to P84 billion, and ngayong 2015 ay P87 billion.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, that is true because the items that were mentioned are all under the Office of the Secretary, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Nakasaad po sa 2014 budget at 2015 proposed budget na may P29,420,000 automatic appropriations na nakapasok sa budget ng Office of the Secretary. Maaari po bang malaman ang source of funds and the corresponding amount ng mga automatic appropriations na ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). So the only automatic appropriation here is the P29.4 million for the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society, the amount of P19.2 million and

the White Cross which is P10.2 million, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno.). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.


REP. TUGNA. I move to suspend the session for a few minutes, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno.). The session is suspended.

It was 12:52 p.m.



THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno). The session resumes.

The Hon. Leah S. Paquiz may continue her interpellation.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.I will now go to the health human resource.

Makikita po natin ang total 2014 budget ng DOH na nagkakahalaga ng P83,720,921,000. Ang pondo po na P10 billion ay specifically allocated sa Personnel Services at P58 billion naman po para sa MOOE.

Let us look at this figure na P83 billion. Uulitin ko po, P10 billion for Personnel Services and P58 for MOOE. Ang tanong ko po, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, bakit po lumobo ang budget ng MOOE nang walang karampatang pagtaas ng Personnel Services?

REP. NAVA (J.). As you can see, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the subsidy premium for health insurance is incorporated in the MOOE. So, with the increase of the budget from 12 to 35, then the MOOE went up as well, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, you are saying that the MOOE ballooned up to P58 billion because of the subsidy for the insurance.

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, the most part of it is caused by the subsidy to the health insurance, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Makikita po natin sa susunod na screen na ang P58 billion ay ginamit ng DOH sa mga sumusunod na paraan. You can see from there, P350 million for travelling expense; P1,335,474,000 for training and scholarship expense; P3,407,000,000 for


professional services; P173,000,000 for advertising expense; P43,000,000 for printing and publication; and P12,826,000,000 for supplies and material expenses.

Ang P3 billion na budget po bang professional services ay ginagamit sa ano pong kongkretong programa ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). The P3 billion plus budget is the budgetary item where we source out our compensation for contractual nurses, midwives, as well as doctors, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, these are the professionals that this P3 billion serve—the Doctors to the Barrios, the Nurse Deployment Program, and the Midwives to the Barrios.

REP. NAVA (J.). Primarily, Mr. Speaker, yes.

REP. PAQUIZ. Alinsunod po ba ito sa wisdom ng rationalization plan, iyong RAT plan? Mayroon po kayong rationalization plan? Is it according to that rationalization plan?

REP. NAVA (J.). This is not a regular plantilla position, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. This is contractual personnel in support to the various areas all over the country that …

REP. PAQUIZ. So, this is not connected to the rationalization plan.

REP. NAVA (J.). Not part, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. This forms one way to support the needs of local government as well, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Ang Doctors to the Barrios Program at Nurses and Midwives Deployment ng 2014 ay pinondohan ng P2,880,889,000, ngunit dahil na rin po sa declaration ng DOH na ang rural programs ay importanteng aspeto ng PhilHealth, attainment of Millennium Development Goal and health awareness, nagdagdag po ang DOH ng sin tax incremental revenue sa pondo ng P88,978,000, kaya po kung susumahin, sa 2014 budget ay may total na P2,969,867,000 budget para sa mga doktor, nurse at midwives ng Rural Health Practice Program.

Maaari ninyo po bang masabi ngayon ang actual bilang—ito po iyong hinihingi ko kasi kanina—ng mga health workers under the Rural Health Program. Wala po kasi akong nakuhang data nito. At kung magkano po ang suweldo na ibinibigay sa kanila?

REP. NAVA (J.). The total number of doctors hired—215; nurses—11,202; and midwives—2,700. The doctors with a contract of service have a compensation

of—iyong sa doctors, dalawa, with the regular items and that with the contract of service. Those with contract of service receive P56,000, and those with regular items receive P66,549. Nurses with contract of service only receive P18,549, and midwives with contract of service receive P14,981, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Speaker, you are saying that for the doctors, you have a regular plantilla position but for the nurses and for the midwives, you do not have regular but they are only contractual?


REP. PAQUIZ. May I ask, Mr. Sponsor and Mr. Speaker, sabi po doon sa contract of service sa Nurse Deployment Program natin—they will have a two-year term, but tuwing ikalimang buwan, kinakailangang pumasa sila ng evaluation and assessment ng Center for Health Development. Is this ongoing?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a performance assessment every six months. That is the reason they are being evaluated every six months, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Ito po ay napakalaking paglabag ng karapatang pantao. Una po, nilalabag dito ang karapatan ng health workers sa tamang trabaho at tamang suweldo. Sila ay nagtatrabaho nang walang benepisyo o walang credit service. Tumatanda silang wala man lang naimpok dahil kahit basic statutory benefits tulad ng GSIS at PhilHealth ay wala sila.

Pangalawa po, nilalabag nito ang karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na makatanggap ng quality health services dahil po kunwari makaaksidente o makapatay ang mga health workers, sino po ang mananagot dito sa namatay at saka doon sa namatayan? Tandaan po nating walang employer-employee relationship ang mga health workers sa DOH na nagde-deploy sa kanila. Saan po pumapasok ang accountable and responsible health care delivery system?

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the nurses hired under this program is under a contract of service only.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, wala po silang GSIS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG?

REP. NAVA (J.). Under the contract of service only, there are no benefit packages as compared to those with the regular items, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The only benefit, I suppose that is given, is the PhilHealth coverage.


REP. PAQUIZ. PhilHealth. Mr. Speaker, babalik po ako doon sa unang tanong ko kanina, paano po kung hindi pumasa sa evaluation ang mga nurse, ang susunod ba pong papasok doon ay ang papasok pong mga nurse for one year and six months again? Kasi two years lang po iyong program.

REP. NAVA (J.). Those who fail the established benchmark for the evaluation process would be retrenched and only those that meet the expected performance output will eventually be retained, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Opo, kawawa naman po kasi sila.

REP. NAVA (J.). It should be noted, Your Honor, that this program is to augment the personnel requirement of LGUs. It is the most that the Department could do with the hope that eventually the LGUs may find funds in the future to accommodate more personnel for the health initiative of the respective LGUs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. If we convert a health worker under the job order or contract of service, slowly, to a regular employment status, it will not promote sustainable human development; but more so, it will give a greater contribution to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and will strengthen primary health care through proper implementation of health promotion programs.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department recognizes that, Your Honor, that is why it is being advocated that, eventually, the local government units should in a way further hire more health workers inasmuch as the national government presently is investing on health facilities, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor. We know for a fact that the mandate of the DOH is to give quality health services to the Filipino people. Sa laki po ng 2013 budget allocated para sa mga doctors, nurses at midwives ng Rural Health Program, hindi ho ba panahon na para umpisahan na ng DOH na gawin silang mga kawani ng gobyerno kasi po iyong mga contracts of service, they do not have employer-employee relationship? Maaari ho nating umpisahan ito sa untin-unting pagko-convert nila from contractual to permanent position.

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, I think we have to note down that the health services in the local governments are devolved functions, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. And the purpose of hiring contractual health workers, like doctors, nurses and midwives out of the

DOH funds is mere support or augmentation of the personnel requirement which, eventually, the LGUs should fill in, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. In that way, we can provide more security to our health workers.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, I can see that, Mr. Speaker, that is why I really appreciate what our beloved Secretary here is doing na mayroong contractual. Ang hinihingi ko po ngayon, sana po, kasi alam naman natin wala tayong pag-asa sa LGU at this moment na mabigyan ng tama, disenteng trabaho at disenteng suweldo ang mga health workers, now that they are in the hands of our DOH, ang hinihiling ko pong tingnan natin ay kung puwede naman pong unti-unting mabigyan naman po sila ng permanent positions or plantilla positions kahit na sinasabi natin na ito ay under the LGUs.

REP. NAVA (J.). That is why, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, if we look into the current system that the DOH is trying to encourage among LGUs particularly PhilHealth around, we can see that potential incentives can be attained if we will properly manage these health facilities being delivered by the Department, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. And through potential incomes or revenues that health facility may realize with PhilHealth benefit packages, these could perhaps be good sources that may answer our desire to provide more benefits to our health workers and, at the same time, perhaps, source of our funds to hire more health workers in the local government, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, kaya po uulitin ko, maaari po ba ninyong masabi ngayon ang actual na bilang ng mga health workers under the rural health program, ang suweldo na ibinibigay sa kanila at ilang health workers ang kailangang pondohan ngayong 2015 para maging permanent sila o casual man lang upang ma-implement po natin ang ating rural health program.

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Your Honor,

Mr. Speaker, the obligation, I think, and responsibility for that entitlement is with the local government units, with the devolved system that we currently have. As much as the DOH would like to, I suppose that the most that we can do so far is to provide the necessary support by hiring these health workers and assigning them to those LGUs that require the most help.

REP. PAQUIZ. That is why I am appealing to the

DOH to look at this matter because after two years, our midwives, doctors to the barrios and our RNs will have no more jobs again. Iyon po ang dapat nating tingnan kasi alam natin na kinakailangan ang mga manggagawa ng kalusugan upang makapagbigay ng kalusugan sa bawat Pilipino. Nakikiusap po ako na kung maaari


nating tingnan natin ito at lagyan natin ng pondo para hindi po sila mga contractuals kundi kahit unti-unti po, hindi ko po sinasabing lahat, umpisahan natin hanggang sa magkaroon po ng permanent plantilla positions kahit sa LGU upang matulungan po natin ang ating bansa na bumuti ang kalusugan natin.

REP. NAVA (J.). We would look into that suggestion,

Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me go to the Magna Carta. Let me refresh the memory of the DOH, Mr. Speaker.

During the 2013 budget hearing, the Secretary of the DOH declared that the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers will be fully implemented by 2014. I will reiterate that request. Anu-ano po ang mga benefits na iyon at iyon ba po ay naibibigay na ngayong 2014? I want to know the number of health workers given the benefits under R.A. No. 7305, the specific benefits given, the percentage of health workers who are yet to receive these this 2015, and the benefits and how much more fund is needed to fully cover all health workers.

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the DOH is concerned,

Mr. Speaker, the Magna Carta benefits that are being provided are subsistence allowance, laundry allowance, longevity pay, hazard pay, masteral or post-graduate degree allowances, one-salary grade increase prior to compulsory retirement and night shift differentials. So, practically, all are being provided, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, Mr. Speaker. I want to be clarified, ilan na po ngayon ang nabibigayan ng Magna Carta benefits na mga public health workers?

REP. NAVA (J.). Everybody is provided with these benefits, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Puwede po bang…

REP. NAVA (J.). But if we question the local government part, as far as the local government, there is no available figure at hand, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, because I think each local government is on its own in its capacity to provide the necessary Magna Carta benefits for its health workers, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Ang nakikita ko po, hindi po natin talaga puwedeng ibigay sa local government. I can see that the DOH can see that. Natutuwa naman po ako at ang DOH ay ginagawa ang responsibility nila. Pero kinakailangan po ngayong tingnan na natin kung ilan itong mga local government health workers kasi po, ang sabi sa Magna Carta of Public Health Workers,

kahit hindi ka employed, basta ikaw ay public health worker, you should receive the benefits. So, iyon po ang hinihingi ko ngayon, kung puwede pong mabigyan ako ng data, aside from the government hospitals that we have, together with the LGUs, hindi ko na po hihintayin ngayon, kung hindi bigyan po ninyo ako ng data, para talagang maisulong natin na mabigyan sila ng kanilang Magna Carta benefits.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will try to look into the matter but, of course, we can only look into those who are regularly employed by the local government units, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, it is still a question para doon po sa mga health workers natin na nagtatrabaho sa local government units. Kanino po ba natin dapat itanong ito--sa DILG, o sa mga mayors, kung ayaw i-take ito na responsibility ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). But with the current trend that most health facilities get out of PhilHealth benefit packages, with some having more incentives than before, I think, eventually, this will be more realistic, I suppose, Mr. Speaker, because I know for a fact that I think a lot of health workers are dividing a certain amount out of benefit packages from the PhilHealth, Mr. Speaker. I think this would be eventually a good source to meet the Magna Carta benefits for health workers among LGUs.

REP. PAQUIZ. In that case, Mr. Speaker, can you please provide our office information on all the Magna Carta benefits that are being given today, how much are given and to whom they are given.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department of Health can outrightly provide that, I suppose, but as far as the LGU employees are concerned, that is one thing that we have to look into, Mr. Speaker. We have a total figure only for the DOH employees, Mr. Speaker. The total Magna Carta benefits that the DOH provides for all the employees total to P3,436,410,224, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Sige po, I will be happy to receive a report on this.

Now, I will go to the filling up of positions in the DOH-retained hospitals. Sasalain ko lang po. Makikita po natin ang trend ng hindi pagfi-fill up ng mga positions sa mga Department of Health-retained hospitals. Tingnan po natin. Ang Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital po, may 1,508 number of positions pero ang filled up lang ay 949; mayroon pong 559 na unfilled. Tingnan po ninyo, nandoon po sa report ninyo. Sa National Center for Mental Health, ang filled-up lamang


ay 1,573, mayroong 853 positions na hindi po filled. Ang Philippine Orthopedic Center ay ganoon din, ang filled-up lamang ay 902, at may unfilled na 595.

Nagtataka po ako bakit hindi po ito nafi-fill up. Alam na naman natin na kinakailangan natin ang mga health workers. Ang tanong ko po, Mr. Speaker, paano po naiisyuhan ng DOH ng lisensiya to operate itong mga hospitals na ito kung hindi sila compliant sa number of health workers alinsunod sa staffing pattern requirement?

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, I think it is beyond the control of the DOH as far as the manner of filling up the positions is concerned because it is done by tranche. Presently, it is only on the second tranche, and the third and fourth tranches are still to be implemented, Your Honor. That is where the gap is coming from. But with these gaps, the hospitals concerned have contractual workers to fill in what they lack from the unfilled positions. So, this fills in all the gaps as far as manpower is concerned and, therefore, still meets the necessary criteria as far as hospital operations are concerned, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, I beg to disagree. I have been to different hospitals all over the country. Ang dami ko pong nakita na hindi napi-fill up iyong posisyon pero mga volunteers po ang nandoon. Paano po itong mga volunteers na ito kung makapatay? Wala pong employer-employee relationship. Papaano po ang mga Pilipino na pinagsisilbihan natin kung sasabihin ninyo sa akin ngayon na you are filled up, but the reality is, hindi po talaga filled up ang mga positions sa hospital. Actual po ba or through paper lamang ang inspeksyon na ginagawa upang matiyak ang compliance sa staffing requirements?

Yesterday, I was with the DOH, iyong mga nurse regulator, iyon pong nagtse-tsek para po mabigyan ng accreditation ang mga ospital. So, are we really looking at the accreditation requirements? Are we following the requirements? Instead of throwing the blame to the DBM, what program will we strengthen in order that the licensure and regulation of hospitals ay masunod po ang requirement ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the DOH-operated hospitals are concerned, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, this is the method that is presently being implemented or observed. For those wherein positions are still not up for filling, they hire contractual workers to fill in the gap. So, with the implementation of the third and fourth tranches, definitely all these positions will eventually be filled up, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, are you saying, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, up to December, magpi-fill up pa po tayo ng mga positions?

REP. NAVA (J.). The next tranches would be up to 2015. In fact, it is within the proposed budget amounting to P12.7 billion that this rationalization plan would be fully implemented, and by that time, all hospital positions will be filled and will eventually fulfill the necessary standard, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. But for 2014, they are up to the second tranche only.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, why do we need to have the tranches when, in fact, the Congress approves the budget for the DOH? Magkano po ba talaga ang badyet, ang kinakailangan upang ma-fill up ang plantilla positions na kailangan sa bawat ospital ng DOH? Kasi po, nakapagtataka na ang mga nire-request nating positions ay hindi natin nafi-fill up. Bakit kaya ganoon?

REP. NAVA (J.). We have here a computation based on the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund as approved by the DBM, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the provision of unfilled positions for 2015 that would accommodate their tranche, so, unfilled positions after the May 30, 2014 cut-off date.

So, this will form the PS requirement for 2015 as interface. In a way, it is being subjected to tranches, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, based, I think, on the budgetary requirement, and the capacity of the government to absorb all of these unfilled positions or intended positions that would meet the ideal staffing pattern. For that matter, this would be implemented by 2015, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor. Alam po ninyo, doon sa mga different agencies, pareho din po iyan ng DOH.

It is sad that we always say that the DBM will approve. I would like to say that there are a good number of hospitals. Sad to say they are even closed or non-operational due to lack of manpower in health workers. For example, post-“Yolanda,” the Tacloban Doctors Medical Center owned by the city, although fully constructed; sarado na rin po ang Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital sa Aklan kung saan ginastusan ng P40 million ng DOH para sa health facilities health enhancement program, dahil din po sa kawalan ng health workers. Ano po ba ang ginagawa ng DOH dito na nasa mandato po nila ang supervisory powers and coordination with the LGUs in pursuit of quality health care services?

REP. NAVA (J.). The said hospital, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, is currently under construction, it was not closed down, and the human resource requirement of this hospital is shouldered by the local government unit.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, ano po ang ginagawa ng DOH para ma-check po itong mga ito kasi naniniwala po ako


na hindi lang dapat iwanan sa local government unit ito dahil ang mandato po talaga ng DOH, siya po talaga ang bossing dito?

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, this hospital is presently undergoing improvement, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Pero, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, yes, they are improving the hospitals, but they are not improving the number of personnel that should come into the hospital. Ano po ang gagawin natin sa mga ospital na walang personnel? Paano natin magagamot ang mga tao?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, this is a local government hospital. As I mentioned earlier, the personnel complement is the responsibility of the local government unit. That is why it is encouraged presently that with the current system that we are trying to adopt under the Universal Health Care program of the Department, this would eventually provide the hospital some form of revenue, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, for them to improve their MOOE perhaps, and to address the much needed personnel complement, if necessary.

REP. PAQUIZ. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, at the end of the day, ang gusto ko lang naman po talagang puntuhin, kailangan po natin talagang maglagay ng plantilla positions, i-fill up iyon pong mga hindi napi-fill up para nga po talagang makapagbigay tayo ng kalusugan para sa ating bayan. Iyon lang po ang ninanais ko pong sabihin sa DOH.

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the DOH is concerned, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, that is the plan, but the DOH cannot speak for the local government units.

REP. PAQUIZ. Alam po ninyo, nalulungkot ako, Mr. Speaker, na parating sinasabi natin that the DOH could not speak for the local government unit. Could we not link with them so that we can solve the problem? I think it is the DOH leadership which can do that. So, I will leave it to that, and now I will go to the sin tax revenue.

As an overview of the Sin Tax Law, after deducting the 15 percent incremental revenue earmarked for alternative tobacco farmers, there is a remaining 85 percent for health programs. From this, 80 percent of the remaining balance of the incremental revenue, makikita po natin sa screen, shall be allocated for the universal health care under the National Health Insurance Program, the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and health awareness programs and 20 percent shall be allocated nationwide based on political and district subdivisions for medical assistance and health facilities enhancement program, the annual

requirements of which shall be determined by the DOH.

My question is, may we be informed of the components, indicators, and outputs of the annual requirements, of which shall be determined by the DOH as mandated by the Sin Tax Law or Republic Act No. 10351. I would like to confirm, Mr. Speaker, whether the sin tax incremental revenue constitutes automatic appropriation in favor of the DOH.

REP. NAVA (J.). As to the components, indicators and outputs of the annual requirements of the Sin Tax Law, the inputs would call for the increased funds for the realization of the MDGs, provision for the health facilities enhancement program, medical assistance program and PhilHealth premium subsidy for the poor. The outputs would include 1) the expansion of public health programs such as the EPI, maternal health and NTB; 2) increased quality of health facilities; 3) indigents provided with medical assistance; and 4) increased enrolment of the poor in the national health insurance.

The outcome indicators would include the decreased smoking and hazardous drinking, improved access to public health services and increased PhilHealth coverage rate, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.I would like to confirm whether the sin tax

incremental revenue constitutes automatic appropriation in favor of the DOH. Automatic po ba iyong appropriation na iyon ng sin tax para sa DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is not, Your Honor, but is earmarked for these that I have mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So hindi po siya automatic kundi naka-earmark.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is not an automatic appropriation, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Okay, thank you for the clarification.

Now, is it correct to say that the 85 percent incremental revenue from sin taxes is an additional or on top, iyon po ba ay on top of the budget of the DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). The baseline budget was the 2013 budget, and the sin tax would be the source of the increases from that time, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. As we have seen from 2013 to 2014, there is approximately a P30- billion increase that corresponds to the incremental sin taxes that were collected that year, and eventually for 2015, the estimate is also almost the


same amount. That is the reason we have such increases as well to the several items that we are funding out of the said sin tax.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Speaker, gusto ko lang pong marinig ulit, iyon po bang 85 percent incremental revenue from sin tax, is this an additional or on top of the budget of the DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). It would add on to the baseline, which is the 53 of 2013, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, ibig po ninyong sabihin, dadagdagan pa iyong budget, dadagdag pa iyong sin tax? Iyon pong budget for …

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, as we are observing right now, it is the sin tax as the source of increase, rather than an incremental increase as well, with the increase in the budget. But I do not think it is happening right now.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, nakapapasok po ang budget ng sin tax doon sa budget ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). For 2014 and 2015, it is because of the sin tax that we have increases in the budget of the Department of Health, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Ibabalik ko lang po sa budget ng DOH ng 2014 at proposed 2015 na doble ng 2013. Nakasama po ba diyan ang sin tax revenue?

REP. NAVA (J.). In 2014.

REP. PAQUIZ. Nakasama na po doon, Mr. Speaker?


REP. PAQUIZ. Maaari po ba ninyong balangkasin ang 2014 budget? Ibig ko pong sabihin, magkano po talaga ang 2014 budget kung hindi nakahalo ang sin tax revenue para lang po makita natin talaga ang mga programa at aktibidades na popondohan ng sin tax.

REP. NAVA (J.). This is the proposal, Your Honor, of the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management-- increases from the proposed 2015 budget were sourced out from the six tax. So, the DOH, on their end, just submits the proposal but technically, as far as the source is concerned, I think it is now the discretion of the DBM. But what we have experienced for the 2014, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is that all the increases, as far as the DOH is concerned, were charged to the collected sin taxes.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, ang sinasabi po ba ninyo ay ang DBM ang may discretion? Akala ko po ba dapat ang DOH, ang nagbibigay lang ng pondo ay ang DBM.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is always the DBM that would have a final say on the Executives’ budget, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. Although there may be some computation as far as taxes collected from the BIR are concerned, eventually, it will still be the Treasury that would better determine how much is the income that would be earmarked for the so-called programs under the Sin Tax Law, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Maaari po ba ninyong isa-isahin sa Mababang Kapulungan ang 2014 na mga programa na pinondohan ng sin tax revenues? Anu-ano po iyong mga pinondohan ng sin tax?

REP. NAVA (J.). The following programs: one is the enrollment coverage for PhilHealth premiums that amounted to P22.71 billion and corresponds to 74 percent of the total sin tax that was appropriated in the 2014 budget; the programs for the attainment of MDGs were budgeted with P1.68 billion; health awareness program, P3 million; implementation of Doctors to the Barrios, P0.09 billion; hospital operations, P2.17 million; health policy and regulations, P0.14 billion; Quick Response Fund, P0.5 billion; and assistance to indigent patients confined in government hospitals, P3.19 billion; for a total of P30.49 billion, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Do you have an operational guideline for the

identification and qualification of health facilities for funding support and for regular monitoring of fund utilization? Mayroon na ba po tayo nito?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, in fact, for 2015, there is a new guideline for the HFEP that the Secretary of the Department issued.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, mayroon na po tayong operational guidelines.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, puwede po akong makahingi nito.

REP. NAVA (J.). We will provide you, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Sa 2015 proposed budget, magkano po ang 2014

projected sin tax revenue na included sa total budget ng DOH na P86 billion? Maaari po ba ninyo akong


matulungan dito? Magkano po ang allotment ng national health insurance, ng Millennium Development Goals, sa health awareness, sa medical assistance, at sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program for 2015?

REP. NAVA (J.). For the 2015 budget, the enrollment coverage subsidy would now be P24.56 billion; attainment of MDGs, P3.41 billion; health awareness program, P0.01 billion; implementation of Doctors to the Barrios, P1.38 billion; hospital operations, P2.87 billion; health policy and regulations, P0.03 billion; Quick Response Fund, P0.5 billion; assistance to indigents confined in government hospitals, P0.61 billion; with the total of P33.35 billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Mr. Speaker, the Joint Circular No. 01-2014, the IRR of the Sin Tax Law, mandates the DOH to develop an evidence-based human resource for a health master plan within 150 days from the effectivity of the IRR. On this note, can we be furnished a copy of the guidelines for determining, attaining and retaining the ideal number of skilled health professionals needed to deliver health care services.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department of Health is presently updating the human resource for health master plan, Your Honor, and the updated publication will be available by November 30, 2014 as specified by the said law.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Speaker, by November 30, our office will receive this publication.

REP. NAVA (J.). We will do that, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will now go to health promotion. The Ottawa

Charter for Health Promotion defined “health promotion” as the process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. This definition is in keeping with the mandate of our National Center for Health Promotion, which is to ensure an accurate, comprehensive, evidence-based program development for health promotion policies, standard facilities and packages to effect positive behavioral change through established networking with partners and stakeholders such us poverty, food, health and social justice.

Napaganda po nitong mandate na ito ang National Center for Health Promotion dahil ito ang puso ng primary health care services, iyon po bang tinutulungan at tinuturuan ng gobyerno ang mga mamamayan na ilagay ang kalusugan sa kanilang mga kamay. Subalit ang proposed budget po ng DOH para sa National Center for Health Promotion ay P167 million lamang,

magmula P165 million budget noong 2014, at sa tugon po ni Usec. Garin at Asec. Tayag sa aming inquiry patungkol sa 2014 financial plan ng National Center for Health Promotion ay, P148 million po ng P165 million noong 2014 budget ng National Center for Health Promotion ay nakalaan sa MOOE at P16 million sa Personnel Services. Ang programs, activities at projects ng National Center for Health Promotion ay nakatuon sa information education, communication materials, sa madaling salita po, mga pamphlets, pamaypay, posters, tarpaulins, or media exposures and advertisements, web maintenance. Sa katunayan po, nito lamang pong unang semester ng 2014, gumastos po ang DOH through NCHP ng P94 million para sa media exposure, advertisements and placements.

With the foregoing, it is quite clear that the priority programs, activities and projects of the DOH in health promotion are by media coverage, and the primary function of the NCHP is to serve as the media bureau of the DOH, primarily in television. Ito po iyong mga commercial ng DOH sa TV sa bakuna, iwas paputok, bawal ang donasyon at kung anu-ano pa. Hindi po ba ang health promotion ay dapat ipasok sa Health Awareness Program? Napakaliit pa rin po ng pondo ng health promotion. Paano po ba natin mabibigyan ng mas malaking pondo ang health promotion? Sana mabigyan natin ng importansiya ang role ng health promotion sa ating health care system. Kung ikukumpara natin ang pondo ng health promotion sa health facilities enhancement, malayong-malayo ito. Ngunit napakaraming maaaring gawin sa health promotion. Kailangan po ng Department of Health na isabay ang Health Promotion Program sa curative programs.

Anu-ano po ang mga 2014 programa ng DOH upang paigtingin ang health promotion? Sa 2015 po, ano naman po ang programa at magkano pong pondo ang ilalaan dito sa health promotion?

REP. NAVA (J.). So, the 2015 budget is P169,238, 000. But it should be noted, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, that most of the health promotions that were incorporated in this program are those that are for the non-communicable, healthy lifestyle programs while those in the communicable side, there are several programs that already incorporated the promotions side, like the Immunization Program which has its own fund wherein the so-called promotions are already included there, like the Dengue Program and some others. So, this healthy lifestyle campaign, Your Honor, is so specific that it was budgeted. We recognize that the trend will be that in the future, as we address the basic needs that we have, like you mentioned the health facilities enhancement which eventually would cease as we meet all the necessary improvements, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. We will be looking into the future that the


trend would eventually lead us to more promotions, Your Honor. To add to that, there are other agencies that contribute to health promotions. I think the PhilHealth has its own promotions as well. As I said, there are several programs wherein the promotions itself were incorporated in the said program, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. But we recognize that the future will be health promotions indeed.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor. I would like to quote the Special Provision in the DOH’s NEP, our National Expenditure Program of 2014, the No. 6 provision which states:

Realignment of Projects under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. The Secretary of Health is authorized to approve the realignment of allotment released from appropriations for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program in the following instances: i) change in the location of the DOH retained hospital or other health care facility to be constructed or change of the DOH retained hospital or other health care facility to be upgraded, expanded, repaired or rehabilitated, as the case may be, due to duplication or double funding of project, peace and order issues, and other policy considerations, as may be determined by the Secretary of Health; and ii) change in the scope of work: PROVIDED, That the realignment may only be undertaken once per project and during the first quarter x x x.

Mr. Speaker, were there alignments done in the past years?

REP. NAVA (J.). There are unforeseen problems sometimes, Your Honor, for which reason, the specific or Special Provision was incorporated. As far as the DOH is concerned, there are several instances wherein the Secretary was forced to realign the budget for another program or project considering that there might be a new source that will come in. Inasmuch as these programs that are being budgeted, Your Honor, are usually programs that were first entertained about two years before the current budget, and sometimes problems on the site, sometimes a foreign donor will come in to fund the said project, eventually, that would be the same time that the DOH would also fund it. So, those are a few reasons that sometimes we need some leeway for the Secretary to do some realignment. Before, it was done through the Department of Budget and Management, but to date, to respond to the problem more expeditiously, this Special Provision was incorporated in the 2014 budget, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, Mr. Speaker, you are saying that the Secretary has made realignments in the past years.

REP. NAVA (J.). The same expense class, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, from, let us say, infrastructure to infrastructure.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, he made realignments.


REP. PAQUIZ. Anu-ano po iyong mga proyekto na ni-realign ng DOH pasimula noong 2013?

REP. NAVA (J.). If Your Honor would permit, we can have the DOH submit the list of projects that were realigned and where it was placed, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, and my main concern, dapat po maiayos ang mga probisyon na katulad nito sa 2015 General Appropriations Bill dahil kinikitil po nito ang kapangyarihan ng Kongreso, ang power of the purse nito. So, sana po matingnan natin ito, dito ngayon sa ating GAA para po makita kung sino ang dapat mag-realign, kung ang Kongreso o ang Sekretaryo.

Let me go to the PCMC. The International Declaration of Rights of the Child states that mankind owes to the child the best it has to give. Naniniwala po ba kayo sa declaration na ito? Yes, hindi po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). Certainly, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. PAQUIZ. Dumako ho tayo sa mga hinaing ng mga kabataan na nasa ospital ng Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Babalikan ko lang po iyong budget kanina, bakit po hindi dinagdagan ang budget ng PCMC? Doon po sa unang budget, kung puwede pong maibalik, kasi po ang nakalagay po dito, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, in 2013, P365 million; in 2014, P365 million pa rin po, nabawasan pa, dahil P501 million iyon; ngayon pong 2015, nadagdagan lang siya ng almost twenty. Bakit po ganoon ang budget ng PCMC?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think that is not the only budget that is being provided. I think there are some budgets from HFEP that were also channeled for the improvement of the said facility, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes po.

REP. NAVA (J.). Personally, I am very much willing to see the budget of that institution increased, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes. Kawawa naman po iyong mga bata. Gusto ko pong malaman ang plano ng PCMC


board of trustees, kung saan ang ating Chair, ang ating Secretary of Health, kung ano po ang naging resolution ng board, because he promised me on September 4 that he will give us information on what happened to the meeting of the board. So, natatandaan pa po ninyo, noong budget briefing noong September 4, na bibigyan daw tayo ng kopya ng board resolution patungkol sa land use ng PCMC. Maaari ko po bang ulitin ang request na ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). The board decided to develop the facility on site, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. Yet, we would still provide you a copy of the board resolution.

REP. PAQUIZ. Ang tanong ko po, paano po mapopondohan ang PCMC para mapasakanila na ang lupang kinatatayuan ng kanilang ospital? Maisasama po ba ninyo iyan sa 2015 budget proposal, ang hinihingi ng PCMC? Nakausap ko po ang NHA, ibinigay po nila sa akin kung magkano ang babayaran ng PCMC, pero may mga questions pa ako doon, pero ang tanong ko kay Secretary, puwede po ba natin maibigay na ito sa kanila at maisama sa budget ng 2015?

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, this issue was already raised, and in fact, it was raised to the Department of Budget and Management.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, sa Department of Budget and Management na naman po natin ito hihingin.

REP. NAVA (J.). I suppose, there is only one way to find a source for that, but of course, through the Department of Budget and Management, and I think, the issue was already raised as far as the necessity, and arrangements, I suppose, are being made for that, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. But as the Chair of the board of trustees, even if it is the DBM, as what you are saying today, who should have the decision, mayroon po ba tayong proposal doon sa resolution na humingi sa DBM ng certain amount para mabili natin ang lupang ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think this was also being proposed by the Department, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Yes, I would like to go back, because the board of trustees has the responsibility to take care of the PCMC, hindi po ba? Hindi po ba sila ang dapat humingi ng budget para maibigay, para mabili na ang lupang ito? Ang kulit ko po, hindi po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. So, ang serbisyong pangkalusugan ay may kakulangan para sa mga kabataan o adolescents o youth. Nakatutok ang programa ng DOH para sa young children under five, maternal health at communicable diseases. Dahil dito, nawawala sa target ng health care ang mga kabataan taliwas sa universal health care. Ano po ang programa, activities and projects that directly or indirectly are for children and for adolescents?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think we have the EPI, we have the MDGs’ target in which the children are also part of it, we are not limited only to the regular immunization program but I think rotavirus immunization was also given to a big number of children, Your Honor. We have newborn screening, newborn hearing, we have feeding programs, child injury prevention and oral health. There are various programs, Your Honor, that are focused on the children. The fact that the Department is investing in the basic health facilities all around the country is only a manifestation that we are bent to deliver the necessary health services to all age groups, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. PAQUIZ. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, health is a constitutional

right of every Filipino and the responsibility lies in our hands. We, in Congress, the DOH and the government, `should make this our moral responsibility to give health to every Filipino, mayaman man siya o mahirap.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker; thank you, Mr. Sponsor. (Applause)

REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you.



REP. ALVAREZ (F.). Mr. Speaker, I move for a brief suspension of the session.


It was 3:12 p.m.


At 3.12 p.m., the session was resumed.


REP. ALVAREZ (F.). Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize Congressman Bagatsing for his interpellation.


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Puno) . The Honorable Bagatsing is recognized for his interpellation.

REP. BAGATSING. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Mr. Speaker, at the outset, allow me to thank

the Department of Health because I requested for some medicines and I got the medicines a few days ago, siguro nai-timing ninyo dahil magba-budget hearing tayo. But, I would like to inform the good Secretary that almost 25 percent noong ipinadala ninyong gamot sa akin, mag-e-expire na next month, so masasayang lang iyong mga gamot na iyon, Mr. Speaker, so I will have to return it to you, baka ako pa ang madisgrasya kapag ipinamigay ko iyong gamot na iyon.

Now, Mr. Speaker, at the outset, I would like to ask categorically the Department of Health because the other day, we had here the UP-PGH to defend their budget. My inquiry, Mr. Speaker, is, did the DOH in any form, shape or manner, work for the return of the PGH to be under the ambit of the Department of Health? Sinubukan ba ninyong kunin ang PGH para mapasailalim ng Department of Health?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a proposal that a board will govern the PGH composed of the PGH, the DOH and some independent groups, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Mr. Speaker, I asked about the PGH because the PGH happens to be in my district and lahat naman ng tao alam na ang PGH is the premier government hospital. Ang nakalulungkot lamang, and I voiced this out in the presence of President Pascual of the UP, is that parang misnomer naman yata na ang isang educational system, naka-attach sa kanila ang premier hospital, so I openly told them that at the appropriate time, my staff is now just concluding this, that I am filing a bill to separate the PGH from the UP. However, all the benefits that the UP as a learning institution, educational system, should be availed of by them kasi mayroon silang College of Medicine, so most of their doctors or iyong mga interns will have to practice at the PGH. Alam po naman natin kasi that pagdating sa Medicine, ang mahihirap, hirap na hirap pumasok as a student in any medical school, and we know for a fact, at least, I know for a fact and I think most of us know, that para sa isang mahirap na kumuha ng Medicine, nagkakaroon ng mga under the table diyan ng P200-P300,000, matanggap lang. Ganoon kahirap para sa mahirap pumasok bilang isang doctor, kumuha ng course sa Medicine. So, ang point ko lang, I think, I do not know if the DOH has really fully supported the needs of the PGH in terms of equipment, medicines, kasi iyan ang premier hospital dito sa amin sa NCR.

REP. NAVA (J.). There is no regular budget coming from the DOH to the PGH, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, only on a case-to- case basis or need basis.

REP. BAGATSING. So, in other words, Mr. Speaker, the support of the national government as far as the PGH is concerned ay hindi masyadong nararamdaman, is that answer more or less true?

REP. NAVA (J.). The budget of the PGH, Your Honor, is incorporated with the UP. I think there are only two in the country with that kind of system, the UP System with the PGH, which is also true with the West Visayas State University and the West Visayas State University Medical Center, wherein the hospitals’ budgets are with the SUCs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. And what is the feeling of the Secretary considering that he is the head of the Department? Tama ba itong sistemang ito na may mga learning institutions, government at that, state universities and colleges na mayroon ding mga ospital, pero iyang mga hospitals na iyan are premier hospitals in the Visayas and probably in Luzon? Would it not be more appropriate and more responsive if these hospitals are under the ambit of the Department of Health? Di ba mas makatutugon sila sa pangangailangan ng mga mahihirap dahil itong mga ospital na ito ay itinayo para sa mahihirap primarily, although mayroon din pong maykaya at mayaman na may mga doktor sa lugar na iyan who also avail of this? But primarily, they were built to save the indigents and the poorest of the poor. Is that not correct, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). This is the reason there is such proposal for the incorporation of the management board and also to look into the necessary reforms that may be adopted so the DOH or the national government could directly intervene particularly budgetary-wise to have a regular support on these hospitals, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Is the Secretary willing to manage these hospitals at ang budget ay mailipat ko na sa DOH, with the condition that whatever is being exercised or benefits given to the educational counterpart be sustained? Iyong management lang at iyong budget ang malilipat sa DOH. Payag ba sila diyan?

REP. NAVA (J.). This is one thing that is being studied right now, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Well, they are studying it. Siguro a bill is appropriate so we can deliberate on this more intensively, showing the advantages and disadvantages. Kasi, what we want to show is that we


have a total health program na naka-concentrate sa Department of Health.

Kasi, Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that I have this kind of position. To me, more than education, health is number one. It saddens me that dito sa ating GAA, the Department of Health is only given roughly P86 billion vis-à-vis the Department of Education, P320 billion. Hindi ko naman sinasabing dapat bawasan ang sa Education. Ang sinasabi ko, dapat iparehas ang health sa education.

Why do I say this, Mr. Speaker? Pag ang isang bata, nag-aaral o isang estudyante ay nag-aaral at hindi maganda ang kalusugan, makapag-aaral ba ang batang iyan? Kung ang teacher, professor ay hindi malusog, makapagtuturo ba nang wasto ang professor o teacher na iyan? Samakatwid, mas mahalaga ang kalusugan kaysa sa edukasyon dahil kung hindi malusog ang guro, hindi rin makapagtuturo. Kapag hindi naman malusog ang estudyante, hindi rin naman makapag-aaral. So, at least, dapat maging at par man lang ang kalusugan sa edukasyon because far reaching, Mr. Speaker, ang health to a family. If the breadwinner of the family is not strong and healthy enough, walang means of income, productivity para sa pamilya niya. Kapag ang mother ay hindi naman din healthy, iyong tinatawag nating ilaw ng tahanan, ang mga ina, ay kumukurap-kurap iyong ilaw dahil may sakit si Inay. Ganoon din sa mga bata, kay Ate at kay Junior. So, to me, health should really be at par with education. That is why, nagugulat ako na para bang kapapasa lang ng Kongreso ng sin taxes pero hindi natin maramdaman ang pondong iyan nang husto.

I distinctly remember, Mr. Speaker, that when the sin taxes was being deliberated, the BIR Commissioner, the Secretary of Finance, ang anggulo nila ay “kalusugan.” Ngayon, naipasa na ang batas, e parang wala ring nangyayari. Only recently, the Senate passed a bill to qualify senior citizens as members of the PhilHealth. Kailangan pa bang sabihin ng Kongreso iyan? Samantalang kaya nga ipinasa iyang universal health care na iyan para nga mai-address nang husto ang kalusugan.

When can we really come up with a universal package, talagang universal package, na every Filipino will have access to medical treatment? What is the time frame of the Department of Health? Ito bang budget na ito can really accommodate, can really help the poorest of the poor and protect the family dahil malusog ang pamilya? What is the feeling of the Secretary or the Department on this question of mine, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). To date, Your Honor, the PhilHealth coverage is only 82 percent. That is one reason the budget for the PhilHealth was increased or subsidy for that was increased. So, by next year I do not think we can fully have universal coverage. We hope we can meet the 90-percent coverage, Your Honor, …

REP. BAGATSING. Ninety percent?

REP. NAVA (J.). … by next year or maybe a few years from now.

REP. BAGATSING. Ninety percent, did I hear it correct, Mr. Speaker, 90 percent?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is necessary to have this universal coverage, at least, not less than 85 percent, Mr. Speaker.

We should also recognize the effort of the national government through the Department of Health on facilitating this Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Mr. Speaker. In this way, we provide the institutional security to the people, and at the same time, with the PhilHealth, we provide the financial risk security, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Mr. Speaker, what will it take for the Department of Health to categorically state, “We can now service 100 percent of, especially, the indigents or the marginalized or the poorest of the poor? What will it take for them to come up with that very categorical statement? Health truly is very important, because sickness leads to peace and order problem. Kapag hindi mo naipagamot si Nanay, kapag hindi mo naipagamot si Tatay, diyan lumalabas ang holdapan, nakawan, para maipagamot si Nanay at si Tatay. So, what will it take, Mr. Speaker, for our Department of Health to be truly responsive and categorically say, ”We can now address every health need of every Filipino”? When and what will it take for you to have that program, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). So, with the continued sources that we have right now for health initiatives, like the sin tax, Your Honor, if that will be fully provided, then the target of universal health care may be doable by 2016, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Okay, hindi na malayo iyon, 2016. Kasi with this kind of budget, ewan ko kung makakaya pa ninyo iyan e. While with the DSWD, through this institution, through this Congress, you were able to give the conditional cash transfer of more than P60 billion to more than four million beneficiaries. My question is, kung ang DSWD ay may programa na nararamdaman ng mamamayan, ang concern ng Kongresong ito, why can the DOH not have a program similar to that of the DSWD na masasabi nating direktang nakatutulong kayo sa mga marginalzed at mahihirap nating kapatid?

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, if the sin tax is targeted to be earmarked to the said health


programs, it is very doable, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The programs are in place like the continued subsidy to the poorest of the poor as far as insurance health premium is concerned. The assistance that is being provided to various hospitals, the medical assistance program, we have put budgets for the realization of MDGs. There is a continuing health facility enhancement program, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. If this would be continuously supported and all realized tax collection out of sin tax will be totally earmarked to these programs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, it will always be possible that universal health care will be achieved.

REP. BAGATSING. Well, that is very good to hear, Mr. Speaker, but to me, it sounds more like a motherhood statement. I have heard that line since the Eighth Congress. So what I am driving at, Mr. Speaker, is, if the DSWD has 4Ps, ano naman merong masasabi natin ang Department of Health na similar to the 4Ps of the DSWD? Meron ba kayong programang masasabing may concern kayo sa mahihirap? Let me just qualify, let me just rephrase, Mr. Speaker. In your proposed budget now, parang wala akong nakikitang Botika ng Barangay. Tinanggal na ba ninyo? Did you remove that program of Botika ng Barangay?

REP. NAVA (J.). The financial security now falls on the national health insurance, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. If you will look into the program, it will be those who are under the NHTS list that would be benefited by this subsidy, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, and this would provide financial protection to the poorest of the poor who are the clientele of the DSWD as well. In fact, we are proposing that if we can go beyond the NHTS list, we will do it considering the incremental increases in the sin tax collection, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. With this program, we provide financial security outright to those who are in need of health care services, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, from the primary side up to the tertiary health care services.

REP. BAGATSING. Okay, that is quite impressive, Mr. Speaker, but my earlier question was, do you still have this program of Botika ng Barangay o wala na?

REP. NAVA (J.). As of now, there will be no more programs for that, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The DOH is also providing support to local government units by providing what we call the “medicine packs” or “health packs,” Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, so that if ever patients would come to their respective rural health units, these packs which are good for the whole course of treatment can be availed by patients.

REP. BAGATSING. And how much was the proposed budget for that program?

REP. NAVA (J.). For the 2015, there is P600 million for this, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. BAGATSING. Six hundred million pesos for that kind of program, am I correct?

REP. NAVA (J.). Their various programs, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, would cost P600 million. I think the TB packages have a different budget. Well, we have the skin immunization program, which has a different budget. The family and the reproductive health has a separate budget that also provides medicine, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. So, those that are intended also to be given to the CCT beneficiaries, as well as those in the NHTS list have a total of P897,348,000. This includes the DOH’s complete treatment pack: BHS kit, breast cancer medicines access program, acute lymphocytic leukemia, solid tumors in children, anti-psychotic medicines, colon cancer medicines, insulin medicines access program, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, to mention a few of the programs under this budget.

REP. BAGATSING. Mr. Speaker, para namang napakaliit noong P800 million na iyon. If you speak of a program, P800 million, napakaliit naman niyan for the entire country compared to the conditional cash transfer program or the 4Ps of the DSWD. In this particular case, Mr. Speaker, you closed your Botika ng Barangay, and now you are handing out packages, sachets, nandoon na iyong mga gamot.

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, there are other programs that provide medicines separate from the mentioned earlier like the TB program, which has over P1 billion budget. The elimination of endemic diseases also provides another more than a billion pesos. Other infectious emerging diseases like HIV, dengue and flood water-borne diseases have a budget of P793 million. So, there are several programs specifically to address different diseases, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, that incorporate the provision of medicines.

REP. BAGATSING. Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I amplified much earlier, these are all superfluous, mababaw na mga programa na talagang hindi nararamdaman. Unang-una, sa presyo pa lamang, napakababaw. Imagine, even if you spend a billion pesos for the entire Philippines, napakaliit na halaga niyan. Hindi mararamdaman talaga iyan.

You had your chance. Siguro, I think, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, it is about time you reconsider the creation of the Botika ng Barangay again. Iyong inyong Botika ng Barangay kasi, last time, you were selling medicines, murang-mura. Mr. Speaker, ang mahirap, talagang walang pambili ng gamot.


Sana, Mr. Speaker, nai-convert na lang ninyo ang inyong mga botika, naglagay kayo ng botika sa bawat distrito. Halimbawa, ang distrito rito ay 250 districts, sana naglagay na lang kayo ng botika doon at binigyan ninyo ng pansin ang pangangailangan ng mga maintenance medicines, maintenance, uulitin ko, ng mga Pilipino para sa high blood pressure o hypertension, diabetes, heart problems and other maintenance medicines needed para maging malusog ang atin pong mga kababayan.

Iyon sana ang naging papel ng inyong Botika ng Bayan na hindi na babayaran, libre na, maximum of P500 per month. If we can allocate P64 billion for four million, siguro naman ang P500 is only roughly one-third of the CCT. Siguro naman, your program can easily be felt by at least two-and-a-half million marginalized poor, whether senior citizen or anybody na kumukuha ng maintenance medicines. Let us just limit this to maintenance medicines, kasi ang mga gamot puwedeng takbuhin sa mga local government pero ang national concern para maramdaman naman ng sambayanan that this Congress cares, we, here, in Congress, we care for the poor, we want them to extend their life, ang maintenance requirement nila, at least, sagutin man lang natin so sila ay magiging produktibo. Hindi ba mas maganda iyon, and how much will it cost you?

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH recognizes that, Your Honor. In fact, for next year, the PhilHealth offers a set of what they call the primary health care benefit package to address the outpatient concern and provide for the maintenance cost of mentioned illnesses, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Pero iyong mga PhilHealth, PhilHealth na iyan, e pupunta ka pa sa ospital e, samantalang if you just create a botika in every district, Botika ng Barangay, at least on a district level to start with, mararamdaman ang presensiya at concern ng Congress, at ng ating national leadership sa mga nangangailangan ng maintenance. At least, let us start off with just maintenance and leave the medicines...

REP. NAVA (J.). We recognize that idea, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. ... leave the medicines to the health centers, to the hospitals. Ito naman para masabi kasi, ano ba ang sinasabi ng mga masa? “Oo, maganda ang ekonomiya, e kayo lang ang kumikita.” We all understand na ang kapitalista, kinakailangang makuha muna ang kapital bago bumaba iyan, pero our people are already kuwan e, naiinip na. “Ang yabang-yabang ninyo, seven-and-a-half percent kayo, leading economy in Asia, e paano naman kami? Hindi ba kami Pilipino? May 4Ps kayo, e iyong 4Ps ninyo, para pumasok ang

bata, para magpatingin sa health center.” So samakatwid, magpatingin sa health center. Kung may sakit ang bata, hindi rin makapapasok, so bumabalik din sa health.

So to me, Mr. Speaker, as part of this Congress, we also want to let our people know, and I keep on repeating the marginalized, the poor, because ito talaga ang affected members of society. Ang may kaya, they can probably fend for themselves but alam ko rin na maski na ikaw ay maykaya, mayaman, kapag inabot ka ng cancer kung ikaw ay mayaman, ang maiiwan sa iyo ay yabang na lang dahil ubos na rin ang pera mo sa katri-treatment, e what more sa poor? Eight out of ten of the poor would die, without even seeing a doctor, hindi man lang nakakakita ng doktor

So ang point ko, Mr. Speaker, if we want a productive citizenry, we have to take care of the health of our people. And to the point of being repetitive, if the health of the family is good, you have a healthy, happy, productive family. But if the health of that family, especially the breadwinner and the mother, is imperilled, you will have problems with peace and order. So, no brainer na iyan, Mr. Speaker, e. We, in Congress, would like to see our Department of Health really fight for the health of the Filipinos. In the first place, P86 billion is nothing to crow about against P320 billion of the education sector.

At least man lang, naka-approximate tayo diyan. Maramdaman man lang ng mahihirap na mayroon tayong concern sa kanila. You stopped the Botika ng Barangay so, saan pa kukuha ng access? You keep on saying, pupunta sa ospital. Mamamasahe pa ang mahirap para pumunta pa sa ospital. Wala na ngang pera, tapos pagdating sa ospital, ay ubos na ang gamot. Let us be practical, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). We recognize that, Mr. Speaker. The Botika ng Barangay, although it is over-the-counter drug, but presently in recognition of that concern, the DOH is now beginning to—a few years right now, as I mentioned earlier, the DOH is downloading medicines intended for diseases that require maintenance therapy, Your Honor. In fact, the list includes antidiabetics like Metformin, glibenclamide, glycoside; for the hyperchloremic agent, Simvastatin is also provided to local governments, these are all for free; antihypertensive and antianginal agents like amlodipine, aspirin, Enalapril, hydrochlorothiazide, losartan and Metoprolol, as among the few, Your Honor, that are being downloaded to our local government units, to be given to their constituents for free, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Well, that is nice to hear, Mr. Speaker. But again, again, bakit hindi na lang ang DOH, bakit kinakailangang ipasa pa sa local government? Baka mahaluan pa ng politika iyan. Tutal mayroon na


kayong in-establish na Botika ng Barangay, namimigay din naman kayo ng gamot, limited to maintenance. Why do you not do it, on your own? If the DSWD can do it, why can’t you? You have your barangay volunteers also. Just put up a botika, at least one, at least, in every district, and then mayroon kayong census naman diyan, at kapag nalaman ng mga barangay diyan they will just inform the poorest of the poor, o punta kayo sa botika na iyon, aalagaan kayo ng gobyerno natin, P500 a month, pwede kayong kumuha ng maintenance meds ninyo. At least, maski P500, makatulong man lang ang gobyernong pahabain ang buhay, maging produktibo ang buhay nila, and that will be a straight program by the Department of Health.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will look into that proposal, Your Honor.

REP. BAGATSING. Ang problema, from experience, Mr. Speaker, from experience, nahahaluan pa ng politika kapag nasa mga local government iyan, e. Tutal, kayo ang popondo, kayo na. Parang ang CCT, sila ang nagpondo, sila ang nag-network at nakipag-coordinate sa LGU pero sila ang lead.

So, what I am trying to say, Mr. Speaker, let the DOH show the way, lead the way. If your concern for the health of the people is genuine and real, take the lead, para naman malaman ng mamamayan that through this Congress and through the national leadership, Congress cares for them, so does the national leadership, na kahit papaano, nararamdaman nila, pinahahaba natin ang buhay nila at maging produktibo ang buhay nila. These are small things but they will mean a lot.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will look into the proposal, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Well, we hope we can see that next year in our next budget deliberations.

Now, let me go to another topic, Mr. Speaker. It states here, you have P13 billion, under page 1129, doon sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program. You have allocated P13 billion for Health Facilities Enactment…

REP. NAVA (J.) . Enhancement Program.

REP. BAGATSING. …for client’s compliance to Philippines’ commitment to health, on the global millennium, for the construction, upgrading, expansion, repair and rehabilitation of DOH-retained hospitals and other health care facilities.

Mr. Speaker, ang Department of Health ba puwedeng sabihin na sa bawat probinsiya o munisipyo na Class A na mayroon kayong dialysis center? I have noticed that so many Filipinos are now undergoing

dialysis. Pero karamihan sa kanila pumupunta pa sa mga highly urbanized areas para makakuha ng treatment nila. That is another program na puwedeng i-embark ng Department of Health na sa mga first-class municipalities, at least, malapit-lapit sa lugar na iyon para matulungan naman ang mga mahihirap na nangangailangan ng, may problema sa renal nila. Magtayo kayo ng maski na four or five dialysis centers in first-class municipalities so that hindi na pumupunta sa mga urban areas pa. Do you have such a program, Mr. Speaker, is it incorporated in this budget?

REP. NAVA (J.). Under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Your Honor, the LGU initiates the needs for that purpose as far as LGU-run health facility is concerned. So, they identify their priorities and submit them to the DOH, eventually they will be evaluated and addressed to, and if approved, that will be part of the health facilities enhancement project. As far as the DOH-retained hospitals are concerned, Your Honor, I think that is being addressed, but as far as LGU facility is concerned, it should be an LGU-initiated one, Your Honor, but the DOH is amenable to any proposal for that purpose, Your Honor. In fact, there are some LGUs I know that proposed that and, in fact, some are under the BUB or bottom-up budget process and which was also approved, Your Honor.

REP. BAGATSING. Well, that is nice to hear, but this is one case wherein talagang you need the cooperation and assistance of LGUs. My point, Mr. Speaker, is, huwag nang pumunta sa mga urban areas ang mga mahihirap na kinakailangang magkaroon ng dialysis o ma-dialyze. Magparamdam na ang Department of Health, magkaroon ng apat na dialysis machines man lang para ma-attend natin ang pangangailangan sa dialysis naman sa renal ng mga mahihirap.


REP. BAGATSING. So, in 1,500 municipalities, ilan kaya diyan ang may dialysis center, ilan ang may dialysis equipment?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think there are several, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, that we will look into and provide you the list. But it is worth mentioning, Your Honor, that the DOH emphasizes not only on hemodialysis but as well as peritoneal dialysis, Your Honor, which can be done on a home basis and as well as it will cost lower than the hemodialysis, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Kaya nga, the problem in my feedback that I have got is that, sa mga probinsiya, they have to go out to the urban area, wala sa mga munisipyo ang hemodialysis na iyan. So, siguro naman, magandang


maging programa ng DOH iyan na, at least, sabi ko nga, in first-class cities or municipalities rather, magkaroon ng dialysis center led by the DOH in tandem with the LGU, para hindi na lumalabas, hindi na gumagastos ng pamasahe o airplane ticket, at least, it is within the confines of the province or of the district.

REP. NAVA (J.). This Representation agrees to that proposal, Your Honor, and we will look into it.

REP. BAGATSING. Now, Mr. Speaker, my other question is, I asked this of the DOH last budget hearing. I asked them if they were prepared to handle all the patients who used to go to the districts of the Congressmen at that time, kasi mayroon pang PDAF. Now na wala nang PDAF, all these patients who go to our districts will now go to the DOH, the DSWD, and the like. Are they now ready, do they have the means to absorb all these patients who used to go to the respective offices of the Congressmen, ngayong dederetso na sa DOH? Nakatutugon na ba sila? Kasi, nasa budget na nila ngayon iyan, sila na ang may diskarte diyan, sila na ngayon ang tumutulong diyan. Have they really started to be more responsive now? Alam ko magkakaroon ng adjustment sa kanila because dadami ang taong pupunta sa iba‘t ibang agency ng DOH. Like in my particular case, ang dating pumupunta sa district ko, now ire-refer ko na lang. They go to the Heart Center, to the Kidney Center, and it is very far from my district. They spend almost P60 to P100 a day, pamasahe lang while noong araw, they just go to my district office. Siguro, they spend P20 or nilalakad lang. But what is more important is, narerespondehan natin, we can still address the medical needs of the indigents and the poorest of the poor. Can we safely say that the DOH is now ready to handle all this influx of people who will be going to their respective offices to seek medical assistance?

REP. NAVA (J.). They still included the Medical Assistance Program in the 2015 budget, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. So, ready na kayo, ready na sila.

REP. NAVA (J.). I hope so. They are ready.

REP. BAGATSING. I hope so.

REP. NAVA (J.). They are ready, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. BAGATSING. So, because talagang magwa-one year na since the PDAF was declared unconstitutional, all roads will lead to the DOH, the DSWD. I only hope that they are really well-manned kasi this is a reality. This is not imagined.

REP. NAVA (J.). I think after several amendments to the guidelines on how to utilize the Medical Assistance Program, everything is set and is now moving forward, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. Yes, I hope so, Mr. Speaker, because, as I was telling you earlier, my constituents now have to go to Quezon City, and it is a good 45 minutes to an hour by public transport, while noong araw, five, 10 minutes, nandoon na sila sa akin. So, it occupies too much of their time and magastos sa kanila. Baka puwede naman, Mr. Secretary, medyo i-decentralize po ninyo para hindi naman masyadong mahirap na ang mga mahihirap ay lumalayo pa, gagastos pa ng malaking pera, tapos bibigyan natin ng P500, P800.

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH had formalized an agreement with the PGH to cater to that problem, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BAGATSING. That is very heartwarming. Yes, I asked the PGH the other night if they have now finally signed the MOA with the DOH dahil I found out before na tumatagal iyan, maraming kondisyon ang PGH. So, finally, siguro, I heard that they really signed a MOA. So, at least, I can now refer my constituents, mas malapit iyon. So, Mr. Speaker, that is very enlightening to know that mayroon kayong ginagawa diyan. Now, I think, I will just have to forego my other questions which were already asked a while ago.

My only concern now, Mr. Speaker, is really for the DOH to make their presence felt and let this Congress be part of that, that we care for the health of our highly marginalized. I hope that you can really take care of, at least, maintenance man lang. Let it be felt that this is the DOH counterpart of the CCT, conditional cash transfer. Dito naman sa DOH, we take care of your health, kaya bibigyan namin kayo ng libreng gamot, maintenance man lang.

I made my own calculations, Mr. Speaker, ni hindi aabot ng P15 billion a year at P500 a month for the indigents. So, you only have P86 billion now. Next year, dagdagan na natin ng P20 billion, that program can fly and totoong mararamdaman ng mahihirap na mayroon palang concern, that we care for their health. So, on that note, I hope by next year, you can really incorporate this in your program.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to our able Sponsor.

REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you.




REP. DEFENSOR. I move for a brief suspension of the session, Mr. Speaker.


It was 4:02 p.m.


At 4:03 p.m., the session was resumed with Deputy Speaker Carlos M. Padilla presiding.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is resumed.

The Asst. Majority Leader, the Honorable Garin, is recognized.

REP. GARIN (O.). Mr. Speaker, let us recognize Rep. Neri J. Colmenares from BAYAN MUNA Party-List for his interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Hon. Neri Colmenares, Sr. Dep. Minority Leader, will take the floor for his interpellation.

REP. COLMENARES. Maraming salamat po, Mr. Speaker. Magandang hapon sa ating mga kasamahan sa Department of Health at sa distinguished Sponsor, kay Congressman Nava.

Iyon atin pong pagtuunan ng pansin dito sa interpellation po na ito ay ang palaging hinaing ng taong bayan na ang health, katulad ng edukasyon, ay isa siya sa hindi nabibigyan ng karampatang pansin ng gobyernong ito, Mr. Speaker. I would like to show in this interpellation and ask the DOH family, ano ang puwedeng magawa sa ganitong kalagayan, Mr. Speaker?

Kung papansinin po natin--first slide, please, first slide—distinguished Sponsor, ito po iyong ating NEP sa GAA sa 2014. Ito naman iyong NEP noong 2015. Kung papansinin ninyo, mayroon pong disparity sa pag-allocate ng pondo. Ang ating pondo na pino-propose ngayon ay P2.606 billion, Mr. Speaker. Pero kung papansinin natin, ang pagdagdag ng share sa mga ospital na siyang frontline kumbaga, Mr. Speaker, distinguished Sponsor, doon sa pagde-deliver ng health services, mayroong napakaliit na dagdag. Pero kung titingnan naman natin iyong dagdag sa PhilHealth at saka sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program, limpak-limpak po ang dagdag dito.

Ito po iyong isang concern, na dito sa ating pondo mismo, instead of dagdagan ng pondo, basically, ang mga ospital, na kung saan doon pumupunta ang taong

bayan, na-centralize sa dalawang malalaking item, Mr. Speaker, katulad ng PhilHealth at itong HFEP, na kung saan maraming nagtatanong kung talaga nga bang natatamasa iyan ng taong bayan.

Maaari bang ipaliwanang ng distinguished Sponsor, bakit may ganitong disparity po sa ating budgetary allocations and priorities, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the budget intended for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program would be intended for all health facilities including hospitals. So, in a way, with the budget intended for that, hospitals can as well benefit, not only from the said allocation for hospitals but from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

With the provision of subsidy to premiums on the National Health Insurance Program, this is also a good source for hospitals to recover their cost of operations. With more Filipinos covered by the National Health Insurance Program, then there will be more Filipinos who will be financially covered for their health services needs and the beneficiary of that financial risk protection program would of course be the health providers, among which are our hospitals as well. So, if we look into the two budgetary items, it will all lead as well to various health facilities that include our hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Maraming salamat, Mr. Speaker, distinguished Sponsor. I will discuss at length mamaya, magtatanong ako at length regarding this Health Facilities Enhancement Program at PhilHealth. Pero ang nakikita dito, kung idiretso sa ospital ang pondo, mas equally maa-access ng taong bayan ang health services kaysa sa dumadaan sa mga programang katulad ng PhilHealth, na kung saan, according to record, Mr. Speaker, napakaraming mamamayan natin ang hindi nakaka-avail nito at hindi sila papasok.

In fact, according to statistics, Mr. Speaker, sa PGH, halimbawa, iyong medical services, 15 percent lang ang PhilHealth members. Ibig sabihin diyan, iyong 85 percent, hindi miyembro ng PhilHealth. E dahil hindi sila miyembro ng PhilHealth, kulang ng pondo iyong ospital o hindi bibigyan ng malaking pondo ang maraming ospital sa buong bansa, saan sila pupulutin? Iyon, Mr. Speaker, ang isang issue diyan.

Pupuntahan natin po mamaya iyan, pero naalala ko lang, Mr. Speaker, noong committee hearing na humingi ako ng isang dokumento, kasi maliban sa puntong kinakaltasan ng pondo ang mga ospital, ang solusyon, instead of dagdagan ng pondo, ipa-privatize pa ito, na ang tingin naman ng karamihan ay lalo pang lalala ang problema.

Ngayon, in relation to that issue of privatization, Mr. Speaker, naalala ko po noong Committee hearing, humingi po kami ng kopya ng contract between the


DOH and the Megawide Construction Corp. consortium para doon sa Philippine Orthopedic Center. Matanong ko po ang ating DOH family, kung naibigay na po iyon, at hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin nakikita, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH is willing to provide the said document, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. But that was promised during the Committee hearing, Mr. Speaker, baka hindi maganda ang tunguhin ng ating interpellation kasi that was promised before.

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH will provide for that but as far as this Representation is concerned, that would provide for the construction of a new facility, Your Honor, for the modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center with a 270-plus bed capacity, Your Honor, on a build-operate-transfer scheme.

REP. COLMENARES. Mr. Speaker, the question is, during the Committee hearing, we requested for it and the DOH promised to provide a copy of the agreement, and I hope maibigay iyang agreement na iyan sa ngayon. Mahaba-haba pa naman iyong aking interpellation, Mr. Speaker, I do not want to belabor the point for now, but that has been promised to us during the Committee hearing. During that same Committee hearing, Mr. Speaker—I will go back to this issue later, by the way—there was also a pronouncement by the DOH Secretary na ang paglipat ng Philippine Children’s Medical Center ay, sa tingin niya, hindi na dapat itutuloy at sasabihan na niya ang board in the next meeting na hindi na nga itutuloy ito. May we ask, Mr. Speaker, ano na ang final na decision ng board regarding the transfer of the PCMC.

REP. NAVA (J.). Only recently, the board decided on on-site development, Your Honor, as far as the PCMC is concerned.

REP. COLMENARES. What does this mean, Mr. Speaker, categorically?

REP. NAVA (J.). They will be developing the site where the PCMC is right now.

REP. COLMENARES. So, categorically, Mr. Speaker, ...

REP. NAVA (J.). That would mean developing the facility, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, categorically, hindi na ililipat ang PCMC doon

sa napabalita dati na lilipitan nito, Mr. Speaker. Am I correct in my assumption, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Pardon me, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. My question, Mr. Speaker, is, so categorically, hindi na ililipat ang PCMC, as promised by the DOH Secretary during the meeting.

REP. NAVA (J.). The plan to transfer the PCMC, I suppose, during the budget hearing was declared by the Secretary that it was set aside in favor of the development of the facility itself on that same site where it is now.

REP. COLMENARES. So instead of transferring the PCMC, Mr. Speaker, i-develop na lang ang PCMC on its current site. Tama po?

REP. NAVA (J.). That is what the board decided, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker, for that assurance and sana mapanatag na ang loob, kung sakali, because I will hold on the DOH family to that assurance, that hindi na ililipat ang PCMC as intended before.

I would like to go, Mr. Speaker, to a news report on the Baguio General Hospital, Mr. Speaker. Mayroon po kasi kaming nabasang news report on the Baguio General Hospital, Mr. Speaker, na mayroong parang agreement doon sa Baguio General Hospital and the Makati Medical Center na nagsasabi na ang BGHMC ay mayroon silang organizational strengthening operation with a foundation, in fact ang title po nito sa diyaryo ang sabi, “Leaner and Meaner Baguio Hospital is the Foundation’s Aim,” parang mayroong partnership between the hospital and the foundation. Ito palagi ang nagre-raise ng alarm bells kasi ang tingin ng karamihan dito privatization ang danger dito, Mr. Speaker. May we know, Mr. Speaker, kung ano ang status at ano ang nature ng agreement na ito with the Baguio General Hospital, and whether or not this is privatization.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is not a privatization program or project, Your Honor, but just a mere private sector support to the government, particularly that institution, to strengthen its management capacity.

REP. COLMENARES. Mayroon po bang inputs ng capital ang private sector dito sa Baguio General Hospital, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is none, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.


REP. COLMENARES. Ang nakakabahala po kasi dito is the announcement of the Baguio General Hospital Chief, Dr. Ricardo Runez, at ang sabi niya, tutulong daw ang MMCF sa Baguio Hospital mainly on financial management and revenue generation. So, ang revenue generation kasi, Mr. Speaker, ang unang papasok diyan, mangongolekta ng kita ang ospital at diyan nalalagay sa panganib ang health services kasi iyong term na “revenue generation” means the exaction of fees doon sa mga pasyente, Mr. Speaker. Masasabi ba nating hindi ito privatization at hindi ito pagbabawi ng capitalization pero may generation ng extra revenues? Does this mean, Mr. Speaker, na may ie-exact na mamahaling fees ang Baguio General Hospital ngayong pumasok na itong MMC Foundation, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). It should be noted, Your Honor, that most if not all hospitals in the first place, have fees and charges, and the sources of these fees and charges are not just the out-of-pocket budget of the respective patients but as well, welfare funds, the benefit packages from the health insurance program or the national health insurance program as well. So this program is merely intended to provide the capacity of this institution on such aspect of management, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, never on the so-called privatization.

REP. COLMENARES. Ito ang problema, Mr. Speaker, if you look at the slide, kasi ang share ng hospital sa DOH budget lumiliit in a sense, kung kaya ang problema palaging idinudulog is, dahil walang pondo, ipa-privatize. How can we explain this, Mr. Speaker? Ang increase, Mr. Speaker, noong 2009, panahon ng nakalipas na administrasyon, ay 39 percent--sorry ang increase--yes, ang allotment sa hospital from the DOH budget is 39 percent; noong 2010, katapusan ng taon ng Arroyo government, 35 percent; pero noong pumasok si President Aquino, 2011, 27 percent na lang; 23 percent noong 2012; 21 percent, pababa nang pababa, at hindi na niya halos naabot iyong 39 percent na sinimulan noong 2009. Lumiliit ang share ng allotment sa DOH hospitals, Mr. Speaker. At mayroon bang paraan o mayroon bang position ang DOH kung bakit kailangang babaan ang share ng increase ng mga ospital na ito, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the reflected amounts intended for the hospitals are those for the recurring expenditures such as the MOOE and the Personnel Services. As mentioned earlier, development, improvement or a big chunk of Capital Outlays of our hospitals now are sourced from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program where a hospital can source out their needed equipment to enhance services of the said hospital as well as the very infrastructure of the said hospital, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

So, if we look into what is projected right now, it is pure MOOE and Personnel Services, Your Honor. If we put the amount under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program which is entirely to improve facilities, although a big chunk of it will go to the hospitals, then that will refine the necessary Capital Outlays requirement on the said hospital to improve its facilities, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, nabanggit na naman ulit itong Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Sige, balikan na natin iyon. Who decides kung papaano ito ia-allocate, Mr. Speaker? Is it in the budget, Mr. Speaker? Mayroon bang itemization kung anong equipment, kung saang ospital, saan ito dadalhin, Mr. Speaker? Or is it something that the DOH Secretary will decide, Mr. Speaker, noong kung sa pagtingin niya, dapat dalhin sa ospital na iyan at hindi dapat doon sa isa, kung di dito sa isa, Mr. Speaker? Or is it itemized dito sa ating budget, items na klaro kung saan pupunta itong Health Facilities Enhancement Program, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The proposal even is from the very institution, Your Honor, that requires or needs the facility. They would be eventually channelled to the national health, one unit in the Department of Health that is in charge of evaluating the proposal, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Pero, Mr. Speaker, the question actually is this: Who decides and approves this, Mr. Speaker, because it is not in the budget? Ang kagandahan po kasi, pag ilagay mo sa budget ng ospital, dito sa budget mismo, collective tayong nagde-decide. Bibigyan ang Baguio General Hospital, bibigyan iyong ospital na iyan. Klaro po at collective na decision. Tayong lahat ang nagdedesisyon, Mr. Speaker, whereas pag in the end iyong program na iyan, iisang tao ang magde-decide, hindi po ba pork barrel iyan? I mean, Mr. Speaker, ...

REP. NAVA (J.). The 2015 allocation under the HFEP, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, had already identified the facilities or the hospitals including barangay health stations, rural health units that will avail of that program. This is a long process the finalization of which would mean the incorporation of these facilities and health units to be beneficiaries of the said budget, Your Honor. For example, the 2015 proposal of P13 billion has already been allocated to several health facilities, Your Honor, that were already approved by the Department of Health. So, it is pre-identified, Your Honor. It is not a lump-sum project that would eventually go anywhere but it is a pre-identified allocation, Your Honor.


REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, approved siya ng Department of Health at ang ibig bang sabihin ipinasa dito iyan, therefore, approved din ng Kongresong ito, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor. I think, with the indulgence of the Gentleman from BAYAN MUNA, we can ask the Department to provide the list of those that are identified to avail of this program for next year, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course, if that was the offer of the distinguished Sponsor, I would be happy to receive a copy of that and, if I may, Mr. Speaker, distinguished Sponsor, I would like to add also a copy of the agreement between the Baguio General Hospital and the MMCF, Mr. Speaker, if that is all right. I accede to the offer …

REP. NAVA (J.). We will.

REP. COLMENARES. … but for two things: one, the list that you mentioned a while ago, distinguished Sponsor, but also a copy of the agreement between the Baguio General Hospital and the MMCF, if I may, Mr. Speaker. Is that available? Can you also give me a copy of that?

REP. NAVA (J.). We will do that, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you.Now, I would like to pursue the fact that itong—

ilang bilyon po ulit iyon? Iyang Health …

REP. NAVA (J.). HFEP, Your Honor?

REP. COLMENARES. Yes.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is P13 plus billion.

REP. COLMENARES. Thirteen billion. Ilan ulit? Sorry.

REP. NAVA (J.). Thirteen plus.

REP. COLMENARES. Thirteen billion pesos, Mr. Speaker. It is actually P13.1 billion. At ang sabi, approved ito ng DOH, approved din ito ng Kongresong ito. Pero hindi po ba may probisyon diyan, correct me if I am wrong, that the Secretary can realign the HFEP, Mr. Speaker? Siyempre, may criteria siya kung papaano i-realign, pero puwede niya pong i-realign iyan. Tama po ba iyan, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, as mentioned in the Special Provision, yes, it should be with the same expense class, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes. Iyan ang ibig sabihin ko kanina, Mr. Speaker, noong sinabi ko na pork barrel iyan. Bakit? Ano po ang definition ng “pork barrel”? Simple. It is a public fund na iisang tao ang nagdedesisyon kung anong proyekto at sinu-sino ang beneficiaries. So, kung may poder na i-realign ng Secretary of the Department of Health, hindi po ba in the end, siya ang nagdedesisyon at hindi ang Kongresong ito? Kasi kung ang sabi ng Kongresong ito ay ABCD, at i-realign ni Secretary sa XYZ, siya po ang nagdesisyon at hindi na iyan desisyon ng Kongresong ito. Hindi po ba tama po iyan na assessment, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). This is due to previous experiences. In fact, if we try to note it, what was in 2014, that realignment can be done up to the third quarter, now it should be done on the second quarter. So, if ever there are some instances wherein an international donor had come in to provide for a certain project that was already listed, then, that would give the Secretary a leeway to channel the funds somewhere else, but only for the purpose of HFEP.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you.

REP. NAVA (J.). In the same way, if the LGU would come up with some funds intended for the improvement of its hospital, the Secretary can channel it to some other facility like the barangay health unit, if the original purpose of the proposal is intended for that. The same way, if there will be some problems on the implementation that require delays, then, to facilitate the budget expenditure or obligation, then the Secretary can find among those that are listed to be funded which was initially not accommodated, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pero hindi po ba may iba-violate siya na prinsipyo dito? Sa ilalim po ng Konstitusyon, no law shall be passed transferring appropriation. Ibig sabihin, kapag pumasa ang appropriations bill sa Kongresong ito, kahit tayo mismo na mga Kongresman at Senador, hindi tayo puwedeng pumasa ng batas na ire-realign iyan. Ganoon kaistrikto ang Konstitusyon kasi alam ng Konstitusyon, the moment na payagan niyang ikut-ikutin ang pera, ire-realign-realign iyan kahit by law pa, maraming milagro ang puwedeng mangyari diyan. Kaya ipinagbawal ng Konstitusyon iyan at kung gusto mo, may gusto kang realignment na gagawin, ang sabi ng Konstitusyon, “O di mag-supplemental budget ka.” Hindi ka puwedeng mag-amendment to the GAA, hindi ka puwedeng mag-pass ng batas na magre-realign ng GAA kundi mag-supplemental budget ka.

Ngayon, ano po ang basis ng DOH Secretary sa ilalim ng probisyon ng Konstitusyon na iyan para may poder siyang i-realign, kahit sabi ng Konstitusyon hindi


mo puwedeng i-realign kasi batas iyan? Ang batas, ginawa iyan ng Kongreso, ang desisyon mo na gawing XYZ ang proyekto ay hindi dapat, sabi ng Konstitusyon. May we know the legal basis of the power given to the Secretary, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, this would have been clearly stipulated in the Special Provisions that the realignment is only the same class for the project for the same program, inasmuch as problems may be encountered sometimes in the course of the implementation of the said program.

REP. COLMENARES. Maganda po, Mr. Speaker, tama naman, in a sense. Kaya lang po, ang Konstitusyon wala siyang sinabi na bawal mag-realign maliban lang kung of the same class. Ang sabi ng Konstitusyon, bawal mag-realign, period, Mr. Speaker. That is what the Constitution says. So, kahit na sabihin ng Kongresong ito na puwede ang DOH mag-realign, Congress cannot even allow itself to realign. Kasi, kahit tayo, bawal mag-realign, that is the constitutional provision. Congress cannot delegate a power it does not have. Walang poder ang Congress na mag-realign, paano niya maibigay sa isang Cabinet member ang poder na mag-realign, Mr. Speaker? So, even that Special Provision cannot grant the DOH Secretary the power to realign, Mr. Speaker. I hope you ask the Secretary of the Department of Health if he has any answer to that since I am at a loss, Mr. Speaker, kung ano ang poder ng Kongresong ito to insert that provision.

REP. NAVA (J.). As said earlier, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the said provision is under the Special Provisions of the DOH proposed budget and would simply mean to be used at the same time in the same project, but a matter of the facility that would defer, which is also defined here in the Special Provisions.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure marami pa ang magtatanong mamaya. We can cut the time. The question remains that the Special Provisions says can realign. The problem is, the Constitution says, no one can realign. So, did the Constitution say, “No one can realign except if it is of the same class”? Wala e, Mr. Speaker. So, I am asking still, where is the legal basis of that provision, Mr. Speaker? And maybe, the legal basis of the DOH is, you can consult, Mr. Speaker, kung hindi alam ng DOH Secretary kung ano ang basis niyan. Unless, Mr. Speaker, you can cite a provision in the Constitution which says, puwedeng mag-realign basta of the same class. I am quoting Article VI, Section 25, paragraph 5, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Of course, this would be in the same class, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, as I mentioned earlier.

REP. COLMENARES. But the Constitution, Mr. Speaker, does not say that it is of the same class.

So, you are not treating it as savings, Mr. Speaker. Ibig sabihin, hindi siya savings.

REP. NAVA (J.). This is not, Mr. Speaker. As a matter of practice, that the same class, expense class, can be realigned given this Special Provision, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. That has been a questioned provision for a long time, Mr. Speaker. In the same manner that kinagawian na rin lang naman natin ang DAP, pero later on, after so many years of practice na kinagawian, it was declared unconstitutional.

In any case, Mr. Speaker, iyan po ang isang problema pag may allowance for realignment sa pondong in-approve ng Kongreso. Ngayon, Mr. Speaker, ang problema dito sa ating HFEP—by the way, can you please cite an example, Mr. Speaker, of an equipment na ginastusan ng HFEP. I remember, parang sa Committee hearing, parang MRI or radiological equipment yata, kasama po ba ito sa ginagastusan ng HFEP, Mr. Speaker?


REP. COLMENARES. So, pag mag-e-MRI ang isang pasyente, mayroon po ba siyang babayaran pag ginagamit niya ang mga equipment na ito, Mr. Speaker, o libre ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). It depends, Mr. Speaker, but chances are hospitals have their fees and charges, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. So, ibig sabihin, Mr. Speaker, gastos ng taong-bayan iyong pagbili ng facilities na iyan, at bilyun-bilyon na public funds ang gagastusin diyan, pero pag ginamit ng taong-bayan, babayaran niya pa iyong equipment na binayaran na ng pondo niya in the first place? Is it not a bit unjust, Mr. Speaker, na nag-allocate ang taong-bayan ng pondo para sa programang ito, pero pag gagamitin niya na, babayaran niya ulit through the exaction of fees?

REP. NAVA (J.). That is why we are putting more subsidies for the National Health Insurance Program, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, to accommodate all the poor and those who are left out under the NHTS. In this way, we can provide financial security to the poorest of the poor, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.


Furthermore, the Committee, in fact, had recommended that the hospital income may be used eventually to enroll patients under the point of care program of the DOH and the PhilHealth for them to gain access to PhilHealth coverage, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, and provide them the necessary financial risk protection.

REP. COLMENARES. I will deal with the PhilHealth in a while, Mr. Speaker. Pero bakit hindi na lang natin ilagay sa MOOE ng mga ospital, Mr. Speaker, para deretso na, wala na siyang dadaanan. Kasi ang mahirap niyan, may diskresyon kung ibibigay diyan, ilalagay diyan, ire-realign dito, Mr. Speaker.

If I may look at the next slide, Mr. Speaker, …

REP. NAVA (J.). On top of the National Health Insurance Program, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, we also have the Medical Assistance Program under several hospitals, and which could be a source of welfare funds as well for the indigents or the poor or low-income group that may require much needed assistance from the government.

REP. COLMENARES. So, paano po dine-deploy ito? Naka-itemize din po kung saang hospitals ia-allocate itong—ano po ang tawag ninyo diyan, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a budget for this that would be downloaded to various hospitals, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, in the same way it is being proposed that it should be continued for next year.

REP. COLMENARES. So, parang lump sum siya, Mr. Speaker, for this purpose na medical assistance, tapos ida-download doon sa mga ospital, na pipiliin ng DOH, if I may, kasi nasa Central Office siya. Tama po ba iyong ganoong assessment, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). For next year, Mr. Speaker, there is a list of hospitals intended to avail of this. For 2014, initially, it came out as a lump sum and eventually was downloaded to the various hospitals. The first time that it was done this year, there were, in fact, five amendments to the guidelines just to come up with the proper implementation of this program, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Iyon ang problema nga kasi kung lump sum

siya, iyon ang danger dito kasi pipili kung saan mo i-download at i-allocate. Bakit hindi na lang po natin ilagay mismo sa mga ospital na humihingi ng pondo?

If I may go to the next slide, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to read this for the record, may mga ospital

na humihingi ng pondo. Iyong Tondo Medical Center, humingi ng P735 billion pero ang binigay sa kanila--sorry, P735 million, ang ibinigay P262 million lang, 35 percent lang. Ang National Children’s Hospital, P764 million pero ang ibinigay sa kanila, P390 million, kalahati lang, Mr. Speaker. Ang National Center for Mental Health, P1.3 billion, ang ibinigay P766 million. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, P589 million ang hinihingi nila, P417 million lang ang ibinigay. Lung Center of the Philippines, humingi ng P240 million, binigyan lang ng P186 million, Mr. Speaker.

Next slide, please. Iyong Philippine Children’s Medical Center, P450 million, P386 million lang ang ibinigay. Philippine Heart Center, P462 million ang hinihingi ng ospital, binigyan ng P346 million lang. San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital, humingi ng P101 million, binigyan ng P86 million. Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, P911 million ang kailangan nila, bigyan mo lang ng P305 million. Paano naman kakasya iyan? Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, P836 million ang hinihingi, ang kailangan, P179 million lang ang ibinigay, 21 percent, Mr. Speaker. Medical Center of Region I—ah, sorry, Region I Medical Center, P2,459,000, ang binigay P375,000, 15 porsyento lang ang ibinigay sa Region I Medical Center.

Next slide, please. Sa Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, P1.8 billion, P429 million lang ang ibinigay. Veterans General Hospital, P406 million ang kailangan, P258 million lang ang ibinigay. Jose Lingad Memorial General Hospital, P893 million ang hinihingi, ang kailangan, P387 million lang ang ibinigay. Ospital ng Palawan, P314 million ang kailangan, P99 million lang ang binigay. Ang Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, P2 billion ang hinihingi, P366 million lang ang ibinigay sa Bicol Hospital, 17 percent lang ng needs niya ang binigay. Western Visayas Medical Center, P918 million ang kailangan, P417 million lang ang ibinigay, Mr. Speaker.

Next slide, please. Western Visayas Regional Hospital, P527 million ang hinihingi at kailangan, P284 million lang ang ibinigay. Eversley Child Sanitarium, P243 million ang kailangan, P86 million lang ang ibinigay. Margosatubig Regional Hospital, P400 million ang kailangan, P109 million lang ang ibinigay. Amai Pakpak Medical Center, P707 million ang kailangan, P109 million lang ang ibinigay. Southern Philippines Medical Center, P2.453 billion ang kailangan, ni wala ngang kalahati, P649 million lang ang ibinigay. Cotabao Regional and Medical Center, P1.2 billion ang kailangan, P327 million lang ang ibinigay. Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center, P218 million ang kailangan, P72 million ang ibinigay, Mr. Speaker. Bakit hindi na natin ilagay diyan, Mr. Speaker, kaysa ilagay natin sa isang centralized na pondo, para i-dispense ng DOH according to what it believes, Mr. Speaker?


Why does this Congress not assert its power and say, “Hindi, gusto namin dito na ilagay instead of giving a sum in a program na ida-download later on, depende sa kagustuhan ng DOH, Mr. Speaker”? Hindi ba mas tama ito na pag-exercise ng ating poder, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Inasmuch as the Department would wish to accommodate everyone, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the Department as well had asked for not less than P115 billion for the 2015 budget, yet only less than P90 billion was provided for next year’s expenditure.

REP. COLMENARES. Ibig sabihin, Malacañang mismo, ayaw bigyan ng pondo ang Health Department, Mr. Speaker? Ibig sabihin, ang DOH, noong nai-submit niya ang budget niya sa Malacañang, faithful siya na sinunod ang proposals ng mga ospital na ito, Mr. Speaker, pero Malacañang ang nagsabing, “Hindi, ang para diyan sa Margosatubig, 27 percent lang ang aming ia-approve diyan.” Tama po ba iyan, Mr. Speaker or it was the DOH itself?

REP. NAVA (J.). The discretion of the DBM maybe, Mr. Speaker, on how much the DOH would get out in 2015, also maybe in due consideration of the potential source of revenues and the realization of the revenue for next year, Your Honor, to finance all these expenditures.

So, what may have been projected or what may have been requested, that includes some other items that may be answered by the HFEP, it had been there for several years now, and I think a matter of years more, we will slowly provide the necessary facilities required of our hospitals, both the local government and DOH-run hospitals, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. We also need to note, Mr. Speaker, that the hospitals are not entirely dependent on the budget that is allocated to them, given the Special Provisions which state that they retain their revenue from their cost-recovery measures, that they can plow back to their MOOE or a portion of Capital Outlay, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.So, ibig sabihin, may pondo naman dito kaya

lang ang ginawa doon sa HFEP, nilagay para mai-reallocate ng DOH, Mr. Speaker. So, hindi naman talaga nabawasan, ibig sabihin, ang pondo ng mga ospital na ito. Nandiyan naman sana iyan kaya lang inilagay sa HFEP, Mr. Speaker. Tama po ba iyong ganoong assessment, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). I believe, not on that essence, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. If we can try to look into the history of how the national government is providing the necessary upgrading of health facilities in the country, never before have we seen, I suppose, investment this

much that would provide these upgrades for local government-run hospitals, health facilities like rural health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, as well as DOH-retained hospitals and our tertiary or specialty hospitals, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, Mr. Speaker, pero ang kalagayan talaga ngayon, Mr. Speaker, lugmok ang mga ospital natin. Ang mga pasyente, hindi maalagaan nang mabuti dahil kulang ng equipment, kulang ng pondo, kulang ng nurses, kulang ng personnel, walang gamot, that is the situation all over the country, Mr. Speaker. Kaya ang klaro dito sa sinasabi ng mga ospital na ito, ito ang kailangan namin. Kami ang nakakaalam kung ano ang kailangan namin. Kaysa sa ipondo ninyo sa isang centralized fund, Mr. Speaker, like the HFEP, for example, ideretso na talaga sa amin iyan because a-access kami.

Iyon naman po ang punto nila dito, Mr. Speaker. Kaysa sa dadalhin mo sa PhilHealth, ideretso mo na kaya sa Capital Outlay at sa MOOE ng mga ospital na ito so that they can buy the proper equipment and render the medical assistance. Ang PhilHealth, Mr. Speaker, hindi siya accessible sa maraming pasyente. Hindi siya accessible sa maraming mamamayan, Mr. Speaker. Whereas, kapag nandiyan sa ospital mismo na iyan, kahit sino ka na mahirap, you do not need to go through a process, you do not need a sponsor, you do not need to be taken care of by a card that does not exist. You are immediately given the services, Mr. Speaker. Kaya ang isang question dito ng maraming mamamayan natin sa PhilHealth, ang laki-laking pera, napakalaking pera, mas malaki pa sa mga pera sa ospital natin pero hindi nila nararamdaman, Mr. Speaker, iyong epekto sa kanila na iyan. In fact, ayon nga sa marami, hindi nila naa-access ang medical services at naging hindrance pa, Mr. Speaker, ang PhilHealth na iyan sa pag-access nila.

So, can you tell us, Mr. Speaker, ano na ba ngayon ang status ng access sa PhilHealth ng taong-bayan, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The coverage so far is 82 percent, and as we see, the PhilHealth transformed their benefit packages from people service to case rates. For the first time, the PhilHealth is covering cases like what they called the Z-MORPH cases, which are the terminal cases, cancer cases, with a much better package than the capitation-based benefit packages before, Your Honor, to the point that I think, bypass procedures presently get over P400,000 or P600,000 benefit package, unlike before that it is only on a capitation basis.

So these are the things that were done with the case-rate system. in the same way, the primary health packages that are being provided for next year on an outpatient basis would provide security, financially, to


our poorest of the poor as this can be availed of in our health centers and respective municipal health offices, including the city health offices, Your Honor, not necessarily on a hospital-based setup, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you.

REP. NAVA (J.). So, these are things that eventually would continue to evolve in the future, Your Honor, and be further improved, which would answer for all the concerns that we are looking at right now, the potential source of income or source of revenue for our health facilities, the financial protection that we need for our constituents, Your Honor. These will all be provided as long as we get the necessary earmark from the sin taxes. And, to take note of how much is the paid-out benefit by the PhilHealth for the past years, Your Honor, we can see that it is increasing by the years. It only connotes that we have improved benefit packages, and we are enrolling or covering more as of before. Last 2011, the total benefit package that was paid was P34 billion. In 2012, it rose to P47 billion. Last year, it was P55 billion. At the rate things are going right now, it is projected that it will go over P60 billion for this year, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, the numbers are there; however, the actual situation on the ground, Mr. Speaker, is different. Sabi ko nga kanina, as per study sa PGH, 15 percent lang ng pumupunta for medical services ay miyembro ng PhilHealth. At iyong mga kailangan ng surgical services, 25 percent lang ang miyembro ng PhilHealth. Ibig sabihin, iyong 80 percent na binanggit po sa national level are not reflected in the hospitals, Mr. Speaker. Iyong utilization ng PhilHealth at coverage niya, hindi totoo na nangyayari doon sa ibaba. Iyon lamang naman ang point, Mr. Speaker. And that is not a very minor point actually, kasi, ang ibig sabihin, kapag wala kang PhilHealth, medyo may problema ka na, based dito sa system na ito, Mr. Speaker.

If I may ask na lang, Mr. Speaker, paano iyon, kapag hindi ka miyembro ng PhilHealth at napunta ka sa mga ospital ng gobyerno?

REP. NAVA (J.). Before I answer that, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, at the rate that we are receiving ground statistics, raw, not less than 60 percent are covered by the PhilHealth on all those who are admitted in our hospitals. That is a big improvement from previous years which, definitely, would be less than 50 percent, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. To further the coverage and to make sure that those who were left behind or to correct the exclusion errors, there is the Point-of-Care that the DOH with the PhilHealth had provided. The Point-of-Care is a program wherein if ever one patient, an admitted case, is determined

to be of the poor or low income, or an indigent, and the patient may have no PhilHealth coverage at all, the hospital can outright enroll that said patient to the PhilHealth and the PhilHealth will provide the necessary coverage for the said patient. So, this will not be a burden on the side of the patient considering that the PhilHealth will come in to cover all of the expense. Furthermore, for those cases under the subsidy of the national government, those who are under the NHTS, there is one program we call the “No Balance Billing,” Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, wherein the said patient would entirely or, rather, would not pay anything in the said facility for whatever health services that he might have availed from that health facility, whatever the cost may be.

REP. COLMENARES. So, ibig sabihin, Mr. Speaker, pag hindi ka naman pala miyembro ng PhilHealth at napunta ka sa ospital, mayroon ka pa ring serbisyo, at ang tawag po pala diyan ay Point-of-Care Service na automatically i-enroll po kayo sa PhilHealth, tama po iyon?

REP. NAVA (J.). If determined to be qualified, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, by …

REP. COLMENARES. Of course, yes.

REP. NAVA (J.). … the medical social welfare officer.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes. Of course, the qualified patients, kahit wala kang PhilHealth coverage, pag pumunta ka, automatically i-enroll ka ng hospital, ibig sabihin pag nag-qualify ka sa Point of Care.

REP. NAVA (J.). For government hospitals, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. May we know, Mr. Speaker, saan nanggagaling ang pondo para ibayad sa premium na ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). From the hospital MOOE budget, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Maliban pala sa pondo para sa PhilHealth doon sa MOOE ng ospital, may pondo rin para sa PhilHealth din na pumupunta sa ospital, is that correct?

REP. NAVA (J.). There was an initial problem with the 2014 implementation of this program because in some cases, the Commission on Audit prohibited the use of hospital funds, particularly the utilization of hospital income, to enroll patients for the Point-of-Care Program.


But it is recommended by the Committee, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, that this should be specified under the Special Provisions that among the expenditures that the hospital income can be used is the Point-of-Care Program of the DOH and the PhilHealth to guarantee that those who may be left out from the subsidy out of the P37 billion intended for subsidy to health insurance premiums, would still be accommodated and could avail themselves of the said program.

REP. COLMENARES. So, for example, Mr. Speaker, ang income na sinasabi ba dito ay ang reimbursement sa mga professional fees, halimbawa? Iyon po ba ang ibig sabihin dito sa income na pagkukunan ng Point-of-Care premium, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is the income of the hospitals from their cost recovery schemes, or whatever that may generate out of their operations, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Hindi ito kukunin sa reimbursement on professional fees ng PhilHealth sa mga professionals, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). It depends on the institution, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, whatever conditionalities they may happen to agree.

REP. COLMENARES. But I am looking at Department Memorandum No. 2014-0145 at nakalagay dito that the DOH hospital may continue enrolment of indigent patients under the Point-of-Care Program using PhilHealth reimbursement of professional fees that is subject to PhilHealth sharing. So, ibig sabihin, ang reimbursement na iyan na reimbursement siguro sa professional fees ng mga doktor o mga health workers, instead na dapat ay professional fees iyan ng mga health workers diyan ay gagamitin para doon pambayad sa PhilHealth. Tama po ba iyan?

REP. NAVA (J.). In most centers, Your Honor, we have to try to define what is happening with the private hospitals maybe and the government hospitals. Of course, those in the private hospitals, for those with a benefit package of, let us say, a case of pneumonia, this has a P32,000 benefit package, high-risk pneumonia, for example, about P9,000 is intended for the professional fee. So, if you are admitted to one private institution, of course, that would go to your private doctor, and the rest would be to the hospital subject to the expense that you had incurred.

In government hospitals, Your Honor, I think it would be management’s decision, I suppose, considering that all these employees are provided their regular compensation.

So, in most cases, these professional fees are considered hospital income, a portion of them used to provide additional incentives to health workers of the said institution, others for additional operational cost of the said hospital and as mentioned, Your Honor, that may well, if management so decides, cover for the Point-of-Care Program. The logical thing that we have to acknowledge, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is that if one indigent without PhilHealth coverage would be admitted and has to pay, for example, just for giving birth about P5,000 and we are talking of that indigent who cannot even pay P2,000 so, by just spending P2,400 for the premium, this institution will outright get a benefit package of P8,000 out of the case that it had served, Your Honor.

So, this is the way that we see that eventually our health facilities would be in a better position if only we can cover everybody, Your Honor, with the PhilHealth. So, it is imperative that we continue to increase coverage on a year-to-year, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Salamat po, Mr. Speaker. So, tama naman ang memorandum except ang interpretation sa pag-implement ng professional fees, depende sa management, iyon po ang nabanggit ng distinguished Sponsor. Pero iyon po ang problema, ito sana, serbisyo na ito ng mga health workers, instead ang gobyerno ang mag-e-ensure na may operating expense ang ospital, may pondo siya para sa medical assistance, hindi e, i-HFEP niya, tapos i-PhilHealth niya, tapos ang kukunan mo pa, ang reimbursement ng professional fees. Parang kung sino pa iyong maliliit na health workers natin, sila pa ang apektado, pero ang lalaking pondo ay naka-centralize po.

Iyon iyong problem dito, na sana, kung sundin na lang natin ang ating proposal dito, Mr. Speaker, talagang deretso na sana sa ospital iyon, hindi na siya dadaan sa napakaraming pasikut-sikot katulad ng nabanggit. Kaya ang rason naman doon, sabi kanina, Your Honor, please, na kung bakit nagre-resort ang ospital na ang reimbursement, gagamitin in some other needs kasi kulang daw ang pondo, iyan po precisely ang sinasabi ng Representasyong ito. Kulang po kasi talaga ang pondo so, why centralize P13.1 billion for heaven’s sake, when in fact, it could have been distributed and made accessible both to the hospitals, and to the patients and the people?

Ngayon, deprived sila walang pondo, kaya naniningil po ang mga ospital. Mayroon pa po bang ospital na hindi naniningil sa indigents, Mr. Speaker? In fact, you can correct me if I am wrong, lahat ng government hospital ngayon, kahit indigent ka, may sisingilin talaga sa iyong fees kasi, walang pondo ang sasabihin nila. Bigyan mo lang ang Amai Pakpak Medical Center ng 15 percent ng kailangan niya, e di talaga nga namang manininigil siya. Iyon iyong problem diyan, Mr. Speaker, sa scheme of things na iyan.


Kung kaya, ang punto talaga dito is decentralize the funds at ibigay na doon sa mga ospital na iyon. Ngayon, ang isang impact naman po dito is kulang na nga ang ibinibigay na pondo sa mga ospital, e kulang pa rin ang ating mga health workers at mga personnel ng ospital. Iyon po ang isang problemang nahaharap sa ngayon, at napakaraming ospital ang nagsasabing hindi kakayanin ng aming personnel ang pagbigay ng karampatang serbisyo, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to go to the next slide. May tanong lang ako dito sa issue ng filled position and unfilled position. Ang 2013 at 2014, mayroon pong mga unfilled positions dito sa DOH, may we know muna po kung anu-ano ang segregation nito, ilan diyan iyong admin, ilan diyan iyong nursing, iyong ganoon po, if I may, Mr. Speaker, doon sa mga unfilled positions na iyon.


REP. NAVA (J.). May I move for a one-minute suspension of the session.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is suspended for one minute.

It was 5:08 p.m.




Is the Sponsor now ready to answer the Gentleman from Party-List BAYAN MUNA?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, with the indulgence of the Gentleman from BAYAN MUNA, we would just provide the list of the so-called positions ...

REP. COLMENARES. Unfilled positions, the segregation ng unfilled positions whether ...

REP. NAVA (J.). Segregation of unfilled positions.

REP. COLMENARES. .. . from technical, administrative or, ganoon po, Mr. Speaker, if you can provide.

REP. NAVA (J.). We will do that, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, thank you for that. May we know when we can expect that copy, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Please answer.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department guarantees that by next week, they can provide the said documents, Mr. Speaker, next week, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Okay, Mr. Speaker, even if it is after the budget approval, I would agree, I am sure the DOH would fulfill that commitment, Mr. Speaker. Pero tanong lang, ang sabi kasi ng karamihan, kulang ng personnel, bakit po mayroong difference na 10,000 at parang hindi po tayo nagha-hire ay mayroon naman palang pondo. Kasi ibig sabihin po niyan, when this Congress will allocate the budget for the PS, the Personnel Services, we are allocating it for 35,989 sa 2015. Ibig sabihin, iyong pondong ilalaan natin diyan is to hire 35,000. Pero ang filled position kasi 24,023, so ibig sabihin, may pondo din sana para doon sa 11,166 na unfilled, e kung may pondo naman sana, bakit hindi nagha-hire ang ating DOH kung, sabi nga ng karamihan, kulang na kulang ang personnel lalo na sa mga ospital ng DOH, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, this is because of the tranching of filling up of positions due to the rationalization plan. So it will be on the 2015 that these positions may be filled up, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. Presently, we are in the second tranche, then the third and fourth tranches will come in on the 2015, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Bakit may tranches, Mr. Speaker? So, ibig sabihin if we approve the 35,000 medyo mali iyan dapat i-tranche din natin iyong aaprubahan din natin na budget for PS, hindi dapat for 35,000, dapat babaan natin iyan, Mr. Speaker, at i-tranche din natin ang budget na ibibigay natin sa DOH, is that what it means, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As I said it will be on it, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, by 2015, that we can fill up these positions.

REP. COLMENARES. Ibig sabihin, iyong 11,150, filled up na?


REP. COLMENARES. Saan napunta ngayon iyong—I will ask that later. But I hope the DOH can answer—saan napunta, therefore, ang pondo para dito sa 11,166 ng 2014 at 10,780 noong 2013, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The tranche two is being released right now. The Department is not on hold of the total


amount, Your Honor, because some of this amount will be from the MBPF.

REP. COLMENARES. Okay. So, iyong 2013, mayroong 10,780 na unfilled positions, pero iyong pondo diyan, hindi na pumunta sa DOH, nasa MBPF na iyan, tama po?


REP. COLMENARES. Mga magkano po iyong equivalent ng 10,780 na difference, Mr. Speaker? Ibig sabihin, how much is that from the allocation of Congress for 2013, doon tayo sa actual muna, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Approximately P2.9 billion, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Two point nine billion pesos, iyong 10,000. Magkano po ba ang PS noong 2013, Mr. Speaker, total ng PS ng DOH?


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is suspended.

It was 5:18 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). In 2013, there was P8,866,448,000.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you , Mr. Speaker. So, doon sa P8.8 billion, ano po iyong hindi nai-release diyan, iyong unfilled positions, two point something billion pesos, can you repeat that?

REP. NAVA (J.). Two point nine billion pesos because for every tranche, it costs about P2.9 billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, for every tranche.

REP. COLMENARES. Okay, so ibig sabihin, ang ni-release ng Kongreso na P8.8 billion, ang napunta lang talaga doon sa PS, ay P6 billion kasi ang P2.9 billion, unfilled positions, tama po, ano?

REP. NAVA (J.). I beg to disagree, Your Honor. To clarify things, the P8.866 billion is already there with

the DOH and those are already filled positions, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. So wala na?

REP. NAVA (J.). The P2.9 billion is a separate budget from the DOH Personnel Services, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, for every time the positions that will be filled up on a tranche basis, that would be the time that a certain amount from MBPF will be transferred to the DOH account, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Medyo nalito na ako ngayon, Mr. Speaker. To clarify, una muna ang 2014, kasi dito po kayo nagsasalita ngayon. Ang 35,189 na authorized positions, 100 percent filled up na for 2014, wala nang unfilled position, is that what you mean, Mr. Speaker? For 2014, the P35,189 authorized position, ang sinasabi po ba ninyo filled up na lahat ito 100 percent? Ang ibig sabihin wala nang unfilled position na 11,000, tama po ba, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The 35,000 is the authorized positions but the filling up is by tranche, Your Honor. Presently, for 2014, it is not totally filled up because we are still in the second tranche, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Medyo nalito lang ako kasi this is the data submitted for the NEP. What does it mean, mali ang 11,166, Mr. Speaker, na na-submit ng DOH staff as summary ?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is still unfilled, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Pardon. Hindi ko narinig, sorry.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is still unfilled.

REP. COLMENARES. It is still accurate, there are 11,186 unfilled positions, tama ba?


REP. COLMENARES. Ang tanong ko kanina ay sa 2013, saan pumunta ang pondo na para dapat sa 10,780 na unfilled positions?

REP. NAVA (J.). It will be released on tranches, Your Honor, from the MPBF.

REP. COLMENARES. No, that is for 2013 at tapos na iyon. I mean, we are now in 2014. May budget na naman tayo ulit for 35,189 positions?


REP. NAVA (J.). The P2.9 billion, to accommodate the second tranche, will be coming from the MPBF, Your Honor,

REP. COLMENARES. I will go back to that mamaya, Mr. Speaker, on the MPBF. Ang problema po natin ay mayroong pondo at mayroong unfilled positions sa report. Pero may napansin kami na bumaba ang PS ng mga ospital, Mr. Speaker. Going to the next slide, bakit bumaba ang badyet ng Personnel Services? Babasahin ko na lang. Bakit po bumaba, Mr. Speaker, ang Personnel Services ng mga ospital? For example, the National Children’s Hospital, ang kanyang PS noong 2014, P165 million; sa 2015, P164 million na lang. Ang Philippine Orthopedic Center, P355 million ang PS for 2014, pero sa 2015 NEP, naging P352 million, nabawasan ng almost P4 million ang PS. For example, ang San Lazaro Hospital, P296 million ang PS nito this year, pero next year P288 million na lang. Nabawasan pa ng P7 million for PS. How do we explain this, Mr. Speaker? May mga malalaking ospital like the Zamboanga City Medical Center. Ang dating PS nito P180 million, ngayon P174 million na lang. How do we explain ang pagbaba sa mga PS ng napakaraming ospitalsa buong Pilipinas, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, all those that are unfilled, the budget of which was placed now under the MPBF, Your Honor. Only when that position will be filled up that the MPBF will be released to the said agency, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. For example, let us choose a hospital, Mr. Speaker. Ang presumption ko, I am sure the DOH has a copy of the 2014 GAA. Ang Zamboanga City Medical Center, ang current PS budget is P180,757,000, pero next year, sa National Expenditure Program, ang proposed budget ng Zamboanga City Medical Center has gone down to P174,023,000. So nabawasan ito ng P6,734,000, Mr. Speaker. Bakit bumaba ang budget for 2015? May tinanggal ba na mga empleyado sa mga ospital kung bakit bumaba ang kanilang budget for 2015, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, the possibility is that there are unfilled positions in the previous year, which the budget is directly allocated to the said facility institution or agency. Eventually, for this year, all the budget intended for unfilled positions were now lumped under the MPBF or the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Funds. It will only be released back to the said agency, facility or institution, the moment it fills in the position, Mr. Speaker. If we look into it,, if there is no drop from 2014 to 2015, it remains the same. But the tendency on the personnel benefits, once

there would be some retirements, the budget for the said positions goes to the MPBF.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you. Maraming salamat.

Ang ibig lang po sabihin ay ganito. Halimbawa P20 billion ang budget for PS sa DOH, ang P12 billion para sa unfilled positions, so ang P8 billion pupunta sa MPBF?


REP. COLMENARES. Tama po ba?


REP. COLMENARES. Kapag at the end of the year hindi na-filled up-- consistent tayo na taon-taon mayroong at least 10,000 to 11,000 na unfilled positions--saan mapupunta ang pera? Mapupunta ba ito sa DOH o puwedeng pumunta sa ibang proyekto, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). What I am sure only about the DOH is that, that budget will not go to the DOH, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes. So you would not know kung saan dinala ng DBM o ng Malacañang ang pera para sa 10,780, or if you go by the example I just made, hindi alam ng DOH kung saan dinala ang P8 billion na na-centralize o naiwan sa MPBF, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, but I am not in the position to …

REP. COLMENARES. Yes. Wala bang na-DAP dito, Mr. Speaker, sa MPBF na

galing sa DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). That, I cannot answer, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes. Kasi sa Korte Suprema, when the petition against the DAP was filed, there were oral arguments and one major source of the DAP is the MPBF or the Personnel Services, Mr. Speaker. Kaya parang hirap na hirap sa pondo ang mga ospital, maraming kailangang na dapat gawin, pero may mga pondo palang sini-centralized. It is up for the decision of Malacañang kung saan dadalhin ito through this very strange fund called “MPBF.” Iyon po ang isang problema dito.

Again, babalikan ko po ang scheme of things kanina na ipinu-propose namin. Bakit hindi sa mga ospital? Gusto natin ang mga centralized na mga HFEP, mga MPBF na iyan mapunta sa mga ospital. But in the


end, only one person decides kung saan pupunta iyan. Whereas kapag in-allocate natin iyan sa badyet tayong lahat ang nag-decide; bigyan ang ospital na iyan, bigyan ang Amang Rodriguez Hospital, hindi po ba? Kanina pa itong ongoing theme dito sa ating interpellation na masyado nating sine-centralize ang pondo kahit na klaro na ang hininging badyet ng mga ospital na ito, and they should know, these are the needs that they perceive, Mr. Speaker.

For a government that continues on harping kung ano iyan—needs-based budgeting, zero-based budgeting—the needs of the hospitals are clear. Why are we centralizing these funds when, in fact, if this is a zero-based budget, there should be no lump sums, there should be no centralized funds na iisang lang ang tao na nagdedesisyon. Kaya in the end, Mr. Speaker, hindi talaga masagot ng Malacañang na ang MPBF na DAP,because only they know about it. Hindi alam ng DOH. Imagine, you have a budget given by this Congress to fill up 10,780 positions worth P2.9 billion. Saan napunta iyon? Hindi alam ng DOH. Ibinigay iyan sa DOH ng Kongresong ito kaya accountable kayo dapat diyan. Pero in the end, sasabihin ng DOH, we do not know kung saan dinala kasi nandoon iyan sa MPBF.

Iyan po ang problema sa sistemang centralized because the moment you make it, transform it into a lump sum, nagiging pork barrel, Mr. Speaker, kasi ang inaprubahan ng Kongreso ay items. Ang sabi ng Kongreso, suwelduhan natin ang 35,285 noong 2013. Pero in the end sinentralays sa MPBF ang mga items na ito at naging lump sum kaya halu-halo na doon sa P144 billion o ilang bilyon ang DAP na iyon na naging pork barrel. Iyan talaga ang problema. Instead na inaprubahan ng Kongresong ito, all of which nagiging pork barrel in the sense kasi iisang tao na lang ang nagdedesisyon kung saan pupunta ang MPBF, Mr. Speaker.

Does DOH support the MPBF, Mr. Speaker? This program of centralizing these funds in a very amorphous item in the budget called MPBF, or would you support the thesis that hindi na dapat mag-resort dito sa MPBF dahil nagkaroon ng malaking poder ang Presidente over huge amounts of funds, Mr. Speaker? Would the Sponsor agree?

REP. NAVA (J.). One school of thought that I personally heard, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is that the reason why it was lumped as the MPBF is that it had been a practice of some agencies before to intentionally leave the item vacant for possible sources of additional benefits by year end. So, it forfeits the purpose of putting a budget in the said item and still not being filled up.

At this juncture, Deputy Speaker Padilla relinquished the Chair to Deputy Speaker Aggabao.

REP. COLMENARES. And the other school of thought, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). But with the MPBF, plus the rationalization plan, according to other agencies they do not have a problem as well considering that they have this timetable on filling up the positions which eventually are being released the moment the positions are filled up, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, Mr. Speaker. Kasi choices lang naman ito kung saan natin gustong pumunta ang pondo? Sa empleyado, sa benefits ng empleyado or gusto natin mapunta sa DAP para sa mga programang hindi natin alam. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ma-account ng Malacañang ang DAP. I mean these are just mere generalized figures na hindi klaro. Iyan ang school of thought diyan, Mr. Speaker, na kung saan, siguro naman malinaw ang posisyon ng mga empleyado na dapat mas magandang pumunta sa empleyado ang benefits instead na mapunta sa isang pondo na none of the DOH know. None of the DOH people would know where the 10,780 unfilled positions went? Hindi ninyo alam kasi it is there. It is up there and only one person approves it and decides for it, the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Kaya kahit anong sabihin nila na ang DAP ay hindi pork barrel, of course not. It is no different from the PDAF. In the end, only the President chooses the projects, chooses kung saan dadalhin ang pondo, Mr. Speaker.

In any case, since the DOH said that we had an answer na where it went, that is a big problem because the funds were given to the DOH, but in the end, somebody else would know where it went.

Itatanong ko lang, nabanggit naman po ang benefits, ito bang MPBF ay kasama ang mga benefits under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers, Mr. Speaker?


REP. COLMENARES. Ano po ang kino-cover na benefits under the MPBF, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is more on salary and benefits in the MPBF are intended for the unfilled positions, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Yes, ano ang mga benefits?

REP. NAVA (J.). All benefits that would accrue to the said position, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. For example, hazard pay, is it included among the benefits under the MPBF, Mr. Speaker?

To go further, para madali, hazard pay, subsistence allowance, kasama ba ang mga ito? Mga magna carta


benefits kasi ang sinasabing kasama sa MPBF, so let us be specific, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). I mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, under the magna carta benefits, it includes subsistence allowance, laundry, longevity, hazard, masteral, once a year grade increase prior to compulsory retirement and night shift differentials, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Okay. So all these are included in the MPBF, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). For the existing filled positions, it is already included under the Personnel Services. For the unfilled positions, those are included in the MPBF, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Salamat po.So included ang mga benefits na naka-lista sa

MPBF. We would like to see if ito bang mga benefits na ito ay napupunta rin o nabibigyan din ang mga devolved health workers ng local government units, Mr. Speaker, kasama na rin ba sila sa nabibigyan ng mga magna carta benefits under the MPBF, Mr. Speaker? Or is this limited only to certain sets of government employees, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). On cases of devolved positions, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, it is the responsibility of the local government concerned.

REP. COLMENARES. So hindi sila kasama sa mga benepisyo na ito, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). No, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Is there any way for the the DOH na makatulong sa pag-subsidize ng mga devolved health workers, Mr. Speaker? So may benefits pala ang ibang empleyado at ang iba ay wala.

I mean, they are practically doing the same job. Parang same work, same time, same hardships, same hazards kung baga, pero different ang benefits, Mr. Speaker. What is DOH planning to do about this, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the Department does not have the clear data on how much of the devolved positions are now benefiting from these magna carta benefits, but I am sure that most local government units are trying their best to meet the required magna carta benefits for health workers, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

I can personally say that being a one-time local chief executive, we had met the magna carta

benefits of our hospital employees, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pero iyon ang problema ng nag-devolve, . parang iniwan sila doon sa kung saan sila nakalagay, Mr. Speaker, at siyempre ang capacity ng mga LGUs uneven. Ang nangyayari talaga dito, marami sa kanila—ang problema kapag hindi na ni-rationalize ito, Mr. Speaker, kalat-kalat sila diyan—subject sa vagaries ng sitwasyon sa kanilang mga lokal na organisayon, and the MPBF, I now found out, does not include them kaya. ang MPBF ay para lang sa mga national employees. Ang sagot dito palagi, wala kasing pondo, hindi po ba? Iyan ang sitwasyon that we are faced with, Mr. Speaker. Pero napakalaki naman ng DAP, for example, napakalaki ng MPBF, napakalaki ng pondong na-DAP. Kung sana in-allocate na lang natin iyon, Mr. Speaker, would you not agree that allocating it to the devolved employees sa mga probinsiya lalo na ang mga hindi kakayanin ng mga LGUs, Mr. Speaker. Anyway, hindi naman natin alam kung saan napunta ang MPBF na naging DAP, Mr. Speaker, so kaysa sa hindi natin alam, nawaldas ang MPBF na naging DAP, ibigay na lang sana sa mga empleyado doon sa mga LGUs, Mr. Speaker. Hindi po ba mas tama iyon, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). I am not in the position to say or comment on it, but the national government may perhaps support those concerns in a form of assistance to the local government, Your Honor.

REP. COLMENARES. Salamat, Mr. Speaker. Kung ganoon, hindi rin kakayanin ng local government units ang mga benefits ng mga health workers natin sa lokal, hirap na hirap din ang mga health employees natin sa national at kapos na kapos din ang pondo ng kanilang pinagtatrabahuan. What do you think if we allocate a portion of the budget, Mr. Speaker, for the fulfillment of the Magna Carta benefits of health employees? What if during the period of amendments, Mr. Speaker, we will propose P8.8 billion for the Magna Carta benefits of the health workers? Would the distinguished Sponsor join in that proposal during the period of amendments, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as support to local governments, Your Honor, based on the proposed DOH budget, P5 billion plus is dedicated to upgrade and improve local government health facilities, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The trend for the past years may be so beneficial to our local government units. I think for the first time, the national government had intervened to provide them the necessary fund to improve their facilities, Your Honor. It has never been done before, Your Honor. I think it is a step forward as far as the


previous clamor of the LGUs on the cost of devolution, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. COLMENARES. Maraming salamat, Mr. Speaker.

The situation sa ground, Mr. Speaker, is dire. Talagang ang health services, hirap i-access ng ating mamamayan. Ang pondo para sa health hindi sapat para magbigay ng karampatang serbisyo, Mr. Speaker. Ang sagot ng gobyerno privatization, PPP, tapos nakita pa natin ang trend ngayon ng centralization ng pondo at pagbigay ng malalaking pondo sa certain favorite items na ang sabi naman natin is not only inefficient allocation of resources kasi nga centralized. But as far as I am concerned, at least this is my interpretation, it is also unconstitutional, so unconstitutional. Why? The budget should be disposed of by a collective group. Congress, in this case, should be able to do its function of allocating scarce resources. Pero ang nangyayari dito, like in the health sector, lump sum na malalaking pondo, Mr. Speaker, ay centralized. No matter what Malacañang says, MPBF is a lump-sum pork barrel, Mr. Speaker, hindi ba? Nag-itemize na nga ang Kongreso, na-transform pa into lump sum. Marami na ngang lump sum sa budget, kung pati ang naka-itemize na for PS gagawin mo pang lump sum, para talagang ginawa ng lump sum ang buong budget. That is not only affecting the health of the Filipino people, that also endangers public funds, Mr. Speaker, because the moment only one person decides where public funds should go, that is a very dangerous situation. That is fiscal dictatorship, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to repeat, again and again and again, that practically castrates Congress because now we approve the budget but in the end this budget will go somewhere else. We want a health budget, a bigger health budget, but even that is not achieved, Mr. Speaker. I guess the solutions being tread on by the government today have been proven wrong before, and they will not work now and they will not work in the future. Sana, Mr. Speaker, kapag ipagpatuloy natin ang ganitong trend ng policies ukol sa health, the more our people will suffer. I hope that the DOH will consider the opinions of this Representation and in the near future the Filipino people, hopefully, will be able to genuinely and fully participate in the crafting of a real budget for the people, a genuine health budget, Mr. Speaker.

Maraming salamat po, Mr. Speaker, and thank you distinguished Sponsor.

REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Aggabao). Thank you. The Gentleman from BAYAN MUNA has yielded the floor.

The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized. Is there any other interpellator?


REP. DEFENSOR. Mr. Speaker, I move for a brief suspension of the session.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Aggabao). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the session is suspended.

It was 5:47 p.m.


At 5:51 p.m., the session was resumed with Deputy Speaker Padilla presiding.



REP. GARIN (O.). Mr. Speaker, let us recognize Hon. Jonathan A. Dela Cruz from the ABAKADA Party-List for his interpellation.


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Hon. Jonathan A. Dela Cruz shall take the floor to interpellate the Sponsor. Please proceed.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Maraming salamat po, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

Will the distinguished Sponsor of the budget of the Department of Health yield to a few questions?

REP. NAVA (J.). Willingly, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor.

Is Your Honor aware of the number of clinics that have been accredited for purposes of rendering medical testing services for overseas workers, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). One hundred eighty clinics, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. How many?

REP. NAVA (J.). One hundred eighty, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. One hundred eighty. All of these are now providing medical testing services for overseas workers, Your Honor. Is this correct, Mr. Speaker?


REP. NAVA (J.). All of these are catering the necessary services, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Will the distinguished Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, provide us a listing of these accredited clinics and the charges they are imposing on our overseas workers. Is that available?

REP. NAVA (J.). We will do that, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.



It was 5:54 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as the list of accredited facilities or clinics, Your Honor, the Department can provide it before the end of the Plenary. However, as far as fees and charges are concerned, they are in the process of reviewing it and they are still conducting forums on achieving the final end of it, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. I am very much interested and I appreciate the fact that the Department of Health, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is in the process of reviewing the fee structure for medical clinics servicing our overseas workers. It has come to our attention, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, that there is a group called GAMCA, a group of medical clinics that is providing, I think these are only about 18 or 20 clinics, providing medical services for our overseas workers going to the Middle East. Our information, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is that this has become some kind of a monopoly of medical clinics and our constituents, the overseas workers, Your Honor, are being charged with excessive fees. Not only are they being charged excessive fees, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, but at the same time, they are having a hard time going through the process of medical services precisely because of a decking system that this particular monopoly of medical clinics has actually imposed, Your Honor. I hope that the Department of Health will take a look at this, and the Department of Labor and Employment, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs, because this is actually an imposition

on our own sovereignty, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, because our information is that the Health Ministries of these Middle East countries have actually imposed certain conditions on our own medical clinics which is anathema to our own system, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. If this is being reviewed right now, we will appreciate it if this is reviewed in a manner that will be undertaken in the soonest possible time, Your Honor, including the fees, because our information, Mr. Speaker, is that they are collecting no less than P1 billion a year in terms of fees. This is quite exorbitant, to my mind maybe even more. It has become a real problem for many of our overseas workers.

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the Department had attempted to intervene on the matter. Unfortunately, they got a court injunction on that. They are presently coordinating with the various agencies to look into the situation, Your Honor, on how to address that concern.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. I hope that particular review will happen in the soonest possible time so that we will give relief to our own workers, Your Honor.

Is Your Honor aware that the Department of Health budget also contains a budget via Special Provisions for the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society? There is a certain provision in the budget of the Department of Health, Your Honor, for the operating requirements of the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor. This is one among the few automatic appropriations that the DOH gets. I think it is P10 million a year, Your Honor.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Is there still a big problem in this country as far as tuberculosis is concerned? Is this one of the major diseases that we still have in this country?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, but we gained some breakthrough as far as tuberculosis is concerned. This is one among those that is being addressed as far as our realization of MDG targets is concerned. For 2016 target, we have to drop the mortality rate from 33 per 100,000 population. Our baseline way back in 2007 was 41. Last year, we attained a 24 mortality rate per 100,000. We met our target and in fact, it is a good accomplishment as far as our intervention with tuberculosis …

REP. DELA CRUZ. How much is the …

REP. NAVA (J.). So from 41 to 24, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.


REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

How much is the Department allotting for purposes of the anti-TB campaign?

REP. NAVA (J.). A little bit over a billion for next year, Your Honor.

REP. DELA CRUZ. And this is over a billion coming directly from the General Appropriations Act or are there any impositions through other means, Your Honor?

REP. NAVA (J.). From the General Appropriations Act for the proposed budget, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Are we getting a portion of that, Your Honor, from the sin tax?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think it is not from, not earmarked there.

REP. DELA CRUZ. It is not part of the earmark from sin tax.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes. It is a general appropriations regular budget.

REP. DELA CRUZ. It is the regular budget of the Department of Health?


REP. DELA CRUZ. Why are we not getting from the sin tax, Your Honor? My impression is that one of the main causes of tuberculosis is …

REP. NAVA (J.). There is but …



It was 6:04 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). There are communicable diseases that are also included to be funded under the earmarked

sin tax, and TB is one. For 2015, this is P73 million. It is more on the promotional end, but with the other item, it is over a billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. The allotment from the sin tax is for the Anti-TB Campaign, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is only for purposes of information and education, that P73 million?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is more on the promotions, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. Is the distinguished Sponsor, as well, aware that there is a provision for the allotment of certain amounts for the White Cross Incorporated?


REP. DELA CRUZ. What is White Cross Incorporated, Mr. Speaker? Can you please give us an idea what this particular organization is doing and whether it is promoting the mandate of the Department of Health.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is an orphanage, Mr. Speaker, and it is also one of the items with automatic appropriation and it receives about P10 million as well.

REP. DELA CRUZ. It is an orphanage, and it is being supported by the national government through the Department of Health.


REP. DELA CRUZ. Are there any other orphanages in the country that are being supported by the Department of Health, Mr. Speaker, or the other orphanages are being supported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development?

REP. NAVA (J.). No other orphanage being supported, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, one of the sectors we are representing in Congress is the day care workers. Many of these workers, Mr. Speaker, are volunteers and they get their allowances, sometimes, if the barangay where they are serving has extra money. One of the things that they have asked is if it is possible for them to be covered by PhilHealth. Right now, Mr. Speaker, there is no provision in our budget as well as in the budget of the barangays for the coverage of day care workers under PhilHealth.

Is it possible, Mr. Speaker, for them to be covered under our program?


REP. NAVA (J.). The Committee is looking into it, Mr. Speaker. The Committee is supportive of that kind of initiative. In fact, we are looking forward not to limit the subsidy to the NHTS alone, but as well as to those qualified volunteers of our barangays, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. These are essentially volunteers, Mr. Speaker. In the rich barangays, they are given certain allowances, but in many, many barangays, Your Honor, our day care workers who are actually providing assistance by way of free education, are also providing a lot of assistance services for our families and their communities, Mr. Speaker. It will be a pity if they cannot be covered, just for their health insurance requirements, Mr. Speaker, because they are not even getting, on a regular basis, honoraria or even allowances. One of the things that perhaps government can provide will be a health plan, a kind of a health plan for them, Mr. Speaker. Can this be accommodated?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Committee is seriously looking into it, Mr. Speaker, not only for day care but as well as to volunteers allied to health, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Including the barangay health workers …


REP. DELA CRUZ. All of those barangay tanods. Is there already a plan, Mr. Speaker, for the particular effort?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is under discussion in the Committee as one potential proposal that may be accommodated, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. How soon do you think, Mr. Speaker, this particular program can be launched, because it is hoped that this will be one of the legacies of the Aquino administration, the coverage under PhilHealth of many, many or our workers at the barangay level, many of them, as I have said, are volunteers.

REP. NAVA (J.). We already entertained that idea and, in fact, we are in the process of finalizing things and looking into the budgetary requirement, Your Honor. Other than the NHTS-based subsidy for the health premiums, we might extend it as well on those that are non-NHTS, but still on who would be qualified as determined by the DSWD, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

Even the PhilHealth, I think, is already in the process of looking into it to make day care centers, as well as volunteer health workers, included in the NHTS, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. I believe, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, that the PhilHealth can accommodate this even as of this date, as of today becausethey have a lot of funds for the purpose. How much, by the way, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is the total funds under the control of the PhilHealth right now? Do you have any idea, distinguished Sponsor, how much is the total funds under the control of the PhilHealth?

REP. NAVA (J.). May we know if it is for the subsidy, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker?

For the subsidy, the budget for 2014 is P35.3 billion. For next year, the proposed budget is P37 plus billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. That is for subsidy.

REP. DELA CRUZ. I understand that the PhilHealth is in a better financial position than the other pension and benefit plans under government control. How much, if Your Honor is aware, are the funds under the control of the PhilHealth right now?

REP. NAVA (J.). The current reserve of the Philippine Health Insurance, Your Honor, is somewhere at P132 billion, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. One hundred thirty-two ...

REP. NAVA (J.). Billion.

REP. DELA CRUZ. One hundred thirty-two billion pesos, and will the distinguished Sponsor advise us, Mr. Speaker, how much of this is the contribution of overseas workers, if he is aware?



It was 6:13 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). The contributions coming from overseas workers approximate to P1.2 billion. On the formal sector side, it is approximately P34 billion; P25 billion coming from the private sector and P9 billion from the government; the informal sector has approximately P3 billion. This is based on the 2013 data. At that time, the NHTS-based subsidy accounts for P12.6 billion.


For those sponsored, which means those that are subsidized by the local government and agencies other than the national government, it approximates to P4.3 billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. So, the PhilHealth is in the best of health, Your Honor. Is this correct, Mr. Speaker? It can support a program that can accommodate, as I mentioned earlier, the coverage of many of our barangay workers including day care workers. As I said, it would be most appreciated, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, if we can have that kind of a plan as soon as possible so that we can already say and advise our barangay workers, including day care workers, of the benefits that will be made available to them.

REP. NAVA (J.). Given the projected sin tax, or the incremental sin tax, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, it is achievable and in fact doable.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Thank you very much, Your Honor. There is also a provision under Special Provision of the Department of Health budget, Mr. Speaker, on hospital income. Is the distinguished Sponsor in a position to provide us with the amount of hospital income that was collected in the years 2012 until 2013? Do you have the figures, Mr. Speaker? If you have the figures, which particular hospital is provided with most of the funds?



It was 6:17 p.m.





THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is still suspended.

It was 6:18 p.m.



THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is now resumed.

The Sponsor may now answer the question of the Gentleman from ABAKADA Party-List.

REP. NAVA (J.). There are about 70 hospitals being run by the DOH nationwide, plus the four corporate hospitals here in the NCR. For Luzon, which does not include the NCR, the approximate total income of all hospitals is P3.8 billion; for Mindanao, it is P2.4 billion; for the Visayas, it is P1.1 billion; for the NCR hospitals minus the corporate, it is P1.6 billion; the NCR corporate hospitals approximate income is P2.3 billion. The total is approximately P11.2 billion for all the DOH-run hospitals plus the four corporate hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. What is the total, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is P11.2 billion, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. For the four corporate hospitals, it should be the highest in terms of fund generation–income. What are these four corporate hospitals, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the Philippine Heart Center, the Lung Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

REP. DELA CRUZ. I will appreciate it if the distinguished Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, will provide us with this list. Is this only for 2013, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). For 2013, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. What about for 2012, do you have it, or not, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). We can provide from 2009 to 2013, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. From 2009 to 2013, Mr. Speaker?


REP. DELA CRUZ. The income is usually deposited or remitted to the National Treasury under the General Funds, or these are held in trust by the individual hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is retained by the hospital concerned, Mr. Speaker.


REP. DELA CRUZ. So all of the incomes are retained by the hospitals themselves, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Mr. Speaker, and they are entitled to …

REP. DELA CRUZ. To make use of...

REP. NAVA (J.). … their MOOEs and a minimum of 25 percent intended for Capital Outlays, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. And they can make use of this particular income, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Mr. Speaker, with the exception of Personnel Services.

REP. DELA CRUZ. At this point, Mr. Speaker, is the distinguished Sponsor aware of the balance of this income that are being held by the hospitals? Do you have any idea, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think this ploughed back to the regular budget of the hospital concerned, Mr. Speaker. What was provided to us were the gross income of these 74 hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Yes, Mr. Speaker.Just give us an idea, Mr. Speaker. For example, the

National Kidney and Transplant Institute, how much is the income of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute from 2009 up to 2013, and how much of this, Mr. Speaker, was spent throughout and how much is still retained?



It was 6:29 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). The NKTI realized in 2013 P1.8 billion of gross income, but its expenditure minus the subsidy also totalled the same amount, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. So we have P1.8 billion for the total expense, and also P1.8 billion for generated income, but this did not include the subsidy, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DELA CRUZ. Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, I have a number of questions more on the issue of hospital income, and I suppose the distinguished Sponsor will need some time to take a look at all of these things. So, if the distinguished Sponsor is amenable, we will give him some time because these are 70 hospitals. If I am going to ask about all the incomes of these individual hospitals, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, maybe the distinguished Sponsor and the Department of Health will take some time.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). So, what is the pleasure of the Gentleman?

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. DURANO. At this point, Mr. Speaker, I move that we momentarily suspend the consideration of the budget of the Department of Health.


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Is there any objection? (Silence) With the permission of the Gentlemen on the floor; the Chair declares the motion approved.

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker, I likewise move that we open the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Mr. Speaker.

I so move.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

Therefore, the period of sponsorship and debate on the proposed budget of the DPWH is now in order.


REP. GARIN (O.). Mr. Speaker, while we are waiting for the DPWH, let us recognize our guests at the gallery. We have the delegates of the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund (JIFF), they are the guests of Rep. Kaka J. Bag-ao from the Lone District of Dinagat Islands, and Rep. Nancy A. Catamco from the Second District of North Cotabato.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). May we request our guests to please rise. You are welcome to the House of Representatives. (Applause)


REP. GARIN (O.). Mr. Speaker, we also have the officials of the Vietnam Ministry of Justice and partner NGOs, all supporters of Justice Sector Reforms in Vietnam. They are Nguyen Ngic Lan, Nguyen Hong Giang; Tran Minh Hai; Phan Thu Thuy; Nguyen Thi Le Tram; Huyn Chieu; Vuxan Dai; Cu Thu Anh; Nguyen Phuong Thao; Nguyen Thu Huong; Nguyen Thi Kieu Yen; and Allan Mccagh. They are accompanied by Mr. Rene C. Clemente, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). It is our pleasure to have you in the House of Representatives. Welcome. (Applause)



REP. GARIN (O.). I move for a suspension of the session, Mr. Speaker.


It was 6:34 p.m.




The Honorable Garin is recognized.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS

REP. GARIN (O.). Mr. Speaker, let us recognize Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, for his sponsorship speech on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Honorable Ungab shall take the floor to sponsor the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

REP. UNGAB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.This Representation is now ready to answer

questions related to the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Hon. Emmi A. De Jesus is seeking recognition. Please proceed, Honorable De Jesus.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Magandang gabi po sa Sponsor ng DWPH

budget.Dito po sa mandato ng DPWH na babasahin ko,

and I quote:

The DPWH is mandated to undertake (a) planning of infrastructure, such as national roads and bridges, flood control, water resources projects and other public works, and (b) the design, construction, and maintenance of national roads and bridges, and major flood control systems.

Dito po, dalawang beses na nabanggit ang may kaugnayan sa isang problema lalo na dito sa Metro Manila na kailan lamang nang dumaan ang bagyong “Mario” ay naging malaking problema na naman. Kaya ang Representasyong ito ay dito magfo-focus ng kanyang pagpapahayag o manipestasyon. Noon pong second quarter of the year dito sa Sixteenth Congress ay nagkaroon ng Flood Summit. Sa tulak po ng aming hangarin na malaman kung ano nga ba ang ipapahayag dito sa Flood Summit na ito, isa sa mayor na ipinahayag ay ang kaugnay ng master plan for flood control in Metro Manila. Gusto ko pong balikan ang ilang mahahalagang punto dito sa master plan for flood control na binanggit sa summit na ito na sa tingin namin ay bird’s eye view lamang.

This is designed to address three major causes of flooding including the amount of rainfall flowing from the Sierra Madre Mountains to the rivers, the drainage capacity constraints in Metro Manila and low-lying communities. This flood management plan covers Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna and parts of Bulacan, and serves to benefit around 17 million people. The government is eyeing non-structural flood mitigating measures like clearing up the flood plains and structural ones like constructing the tension basins and drainage bins in flood-prone areas, and a dike running from Taguig to Calamba.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, at this point, from this bird’s eye view, I would like to manifest that this Representation would like to get the details of the flood control plan for Metro Manila, inasmuch as the amount to be spent as mentioned is P351 billion which is only the estimated cost of the implementation. For such a very big amount, may we also ask for the details. Ito po bang napakalaking halaga na ito, saan-saang lugar, ano ang timeframe, at ito pong binabanggit na 17 million residents na makikinabang, ano naman din ang katumbas ng mga residente naman na mapapaalis o madi-displace, at kailan po balak simulan ang master plan na ito at ang detalye?

Kaugnay din po dito, gusto kong idagdag rin sa isang reference book na ibinigay sa atin sa Kongreso,


ang BESF 2015, kung saan binanggit din naman ang Flood Risk Management Project along principal rivers na may nakalaan ding pondo. Gusto kong irehistro na ito ay alam na natin, na tayo ay nangungutang mula pa 2013 sa JICA para pondohan ang proyektong ito at sa 2015, humihingi muli ang ahensiya ng P650 million for the construction and rehabilitation of flood mitigation facilities along principal rivers.

Nais ko po na maunawaan, na makuha, ito bang Flood Risk Management Project along principal rivers na nasa BESF ng 2015 ay masasakop na doon sa sinasabing master flood control plan na nagkakahalaga ng P351 billion? Ang ikatlong proyekto ay ang Pasig-Marikina River channel improvement. Saan po ito nakalugar? Ito ba ay sakop ng master plan for flood control? Malinaw po na tayo ay nangungutang at ang magiging major scope ng proyektong ito ay ang dredging ng lower Marikina River. Bilang isa sa lugar na laging binabaha, incidentally ang Representasyong ito ay nanggaling din sa munisipyong ito, gusto pong malinawan namin ang mga puwesto ng mga balakin ng DPWH kaugnay ng flood mitigation, at kung ito ay utang o kung tayo ay magdadagdag pa ng utang, ano po ba ang plano doon sa pagbabayad ng utang?

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, ito pong manipestasyon na ito ay nangangahulugan para sa ahensiya ng pagbibigay at pagsusumite ng kopya ng master plan kung saan naroroon ang mahahalagang detalye; ang paggagastusan ng P351 billion; ano ang time frame; nakapuwesto ba rito ang mga maliitang mga flood control plans sa iba’t ibang lugar sa Pilipinas; at paano sisimulan ito? Ang sourcing nito kung mangungutang tayo, paano ang schedule ng bayarin dahil ito na naman ay karagdagang pabigat sa mahihirap at higit sa lahat, kung mayroon pa bang madi-displace na mga kababayan natin doon sa mga dadaanan ng proyektong ito?

Mr. Speaker, G. Isponsor, itong manipestasyon ay tinatapos na at inaasahan ko na ang mga nabanggit na mga punto na napakahalaga dahil ito ay sinasabi ngang apektado ang maraming lugar sa ating kapuluan, hindi lamang sa mega Metro Manila. Inaasahan po ng Representasyong ito ang pagsusumite sa amin ng mga hinihinging dokumento.

Mr. Speaker, maraming salamat. Mr. Sponsor, maraming salamat.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Sponsor, please respond.

REP. UNGAB. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Yes, there is indeed a flood management control

master plan for Metro Manila and the surrounding areas which was conducted sometime in 2012, and this was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Recommended were about 11 structural measures to

mitigate the flood control management master plan for Metro Manila and the surrounding areas.

This Representation, together with the DPWH family, is very much willing to provide a copy of this master plan to the Lady from GABRIELA, Mr. Speaker. If, kung matatapos na po ang project, this would include the P5 billion high-priority, high-impact areas being implemented or on-going pa po, at kapag na-implement ito, hopefully we will address na ang ating flood problems dito sa Metro Manila and its surrounding areas. We are willing to provide the Lady from GABRIELA a copy of this master plan, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Thank you. The Hon. Joseph “Ace” H. Durano is recognized.

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker, at this point, I move that the Hon. Terry L. Ridon from the KABATAAN Party-List be recognized for his interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Hon. Terry L. Ridon from the KABATAAN Party-List shall take the floor. Is it an interpellation or just a manifestation?

REP. RIDON. It is a five-hour interpellation, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Please proceed.

REP. RIDON. Thank you. I am just joking. It is going to be brief, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. As I think it is expected by the Department that the topic of interpellation tonight would be about the Iloilo Convention Center and the details related thereof, at this point we would not want to make a prejudgment as to the status of the implementation. Can the Department, at the very least, provide some particular details with respect to this particular project, Mr. Speaker, distinguished Sponsor?

First, may we know what the particular sources of funding of this project are? Does it include appropriation from the DPWH? Does it include appropriation from the Department of Tourism? Did it come from appropriations from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of the legislators? Did it come from the funding from the Disbursement Acceleration Program, among others, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The session is suspended for one minute..

It was 6:47 p.m.





REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, the appropriation for the Iloilo Convention Center initially is P500 million, and the fund sources are as follows: P100 million from the DPWH 2012 General Appropriations Act; another P200 million from the DPWH 2013 General Appropriations Act; and another P200 million from the Department of Tourism’s TIEZA in 2013, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Have you stated already whether it has also been sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. The amount, Mr. Speaker, in 2012 from the GAA, yes, it came from part of the PDAF, Mr. Speaker, the old PDAF.

REP. RIDON. Do we have information whether it has also come from the Disbursement Acceleration Program, because I understand that in some of the news reports, there were statements that part of the funding for the ICC had come from the Disbursement Acceleration Program of a legislator, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. For this particular project, Mr. Speaker, wala pong DAP funds dito.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for the response, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. We are happy that no DAP funds have been sourced or have been used for the Iloilo Convention Center.

My nex t ques t ion i s whe the r we have information on the cost, per square meter, of the Iloilo Convention Center, because we would want to know whether the previous understanding of this Representation, based on the project was overpriced. We would want to know whether we might be incorrect in our calculation, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. Perhaps, we can state for the record of the price of the project cost per square meter of the Iloilo Convention Center, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, based on the floor area of 11,693.79 square meters, the briefer from the DPWH would show that the total building cost per square meter is P63,893.11 per square meter, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. So, is it the correct understanding of this Representation that it is the position of the Department that this particular stated total cost per square meter is the fair and true price for such a momentous project, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Yes, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. That is good to know, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. But, we would also want to know what the explanation of the Department is with respect to a comparison, for example, of this particular costing to the costing of a private convention center which is, for example, the SMX Convention Center which we have calculated as only priced at around P26,000 per square meter, Mr. Speaker. Although we understand that government contracts would most definitely have a higher amount because of the cost of money, my question is whether this is an apples to apples comparison, and secondly, whether it is a fair comparison at the very least, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to compare of a government building with one in the private sector considering that there are government accounting rules and procedures and the government rules on bidding that we follow. Unlike in the private sector where there is so much leeway that in the middle of the construction they could conduct some kind of negotiation to adjust prices, in the government, it is a bit rigid, Mr. Speaker, considering that we have to strictly follow the rules or the laws on bidding and awarding.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for your response, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. But again, I think we will really have to make a true determination of the cost of this particular project especially, sorry, let me erase that statement, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

Just to recap, it is the position therefore of the department that no true comparison can be made with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center and the SMX Convention Center, Mr. Speaker, despite the two being both convention centers and at the very least, four floors, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, there is no comparison. But this Representation is willing to provide the Gentleman from KABATAAN Party-List the details of the expenditures. I have here a copy, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Yes, of course, we will appreciate a full submission of the entire documentation for this particular project, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.


I would also want to revert again to the question on the sources of funding, because I would want to reconfirm whether or not there are no DAP funds. I think no less than the Senate President has stated that parts of the Iloilo Convention Center had been sourced from the Disbursement Acceleration Program, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. Or, are we saying today that the Senate President is incorrect in his position that there were no DAP funds provided for the Iloilo Convention Center?

REP. UNGAB. We have no actual information as to the statement of the Senate President. However, as per information here from the DPWH family, we would like to confirm or reaffirm that indeed, there was no DAP funds released for this purpose. All came from the GAA, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for the response. I think it is therefore safe to assume that probably this particular appropriation is among those DAP funds that have not yet been fully released by the Department of Budget and Management, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. Of course, this is not to belittle the information of the Department, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. So thank you for the response with respect to the sources of funding.

Can we now proceed to the manner of bidding of the Iloilo Convention Center. I understand that the ICC had undertaken two competitive bids, both of which had failed, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. Do we confirm that there were two failed biddings with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center, as per the documentation in the Department?

REP. UNGAB. There were two failed biddings in the region, Mr. Speaker, so the option was to proceed through an alternative mode of procurement.

REP. RIDON. Before proceeding to the question on the alternative mode, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague, I would want to ask some questions with respect to the failure of bidding during the first bid. I understand there was a winner but only there was a post-disqualification of the particular winning bidder. Can we state for the record the reason as to why this particular bidder had, in fact, been disqualified by the Department, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. I have here a summary of the reasons for the failed bidding, Mr. Speaker. For the first bidder, it was WT Construction Inc. The bid was rejected and the reason was that it was above the ABC. The second was R.D. Policarpio & Company, Inc. It was post-disqualified due to lack of equipment requirement. Third was A. M. Oreta & Company, Inc.,

IBC International Builders Corporation. They submitted a letter of non-participation because the financial proposal exceeded the agency budget cost. Also, there were five other bidders, namely: Frey-Fil Corporation, Young Builders Corporation, Tokwing Construction, J Brothers Construction and Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation, whereby all submitted letters of non-participation, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. I understand that one contractor won in this first particular bidding. Can we state for the record what particular contractor had won but was, in fact, disqualified, and can we state for the record the reason for their disqualification, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, the R.D. Policarpio & Company was post-disqualified due to the lack of the required equipment, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Is the lack of equipment requirements a substantial lack for them to be, in fact, disqualified in the first bidding? I understand this is a big-ticket infrastructure project, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague, and I do not think any self-respecting contractor would undertake a bidding only to be disqualified in the post-qualification. Maybe they can respond to this, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

REP. UNGAB. Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is really part of the post-qualification requirement.

REP. RIDON. And the particular disqualification is because they have no …

REP. UNGAB. No minimum requirement needed, Mr. Speaker, as specified in the bid, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. This includes the failure to have the adequate number of cranes. Is that correct, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Yes, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Is it not a possibility only to, maybe rent it out and get some cranes from a sub-contractor for use in the construction? Did it really have to resort to a post-disqualification of a winning bidder, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. That is not the reason, Mr. Speaker. The reason, as stated earlier, was that it was disqualified due to the lack of equipment requirements, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Thank you. Can we proceed to the


second failed bidding? In this second failed bidding, there was no winner. Is that correct?

REP. UNGAB. Yes, no winner, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. The reason for this is because …

REP. UNGAB. Please, repeat the question, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. The reason for the absence of any winner for the second competitive bid is that…

REP. UNGAB. The reasons are as follows, Mr. Speaker, yes, I have here a summary. There were seven bidders and the reasons for the failed bidding are as follows: the first was R.D. Policarpio & Co., Inc. which was post-disqualified; the bid when corrected was above the agency budget cost; second, J.D. Legaspi Construction, also post-disqualified because there was no similar contract or negative slippage; third, A.M. Oreta & Co., Inc.; (IBC International Builders Corporation), its bid was rejected because they are above the ABC; Frey-Fil Corporation the remarks are illegible; fifth, Filipinas Prefab Building Systems, Inc., F.F. Cruz & Co., Inc., did not submit a letter of participation; sixth, Prismodial Construction Corp., R.R. Encabo Contractors & Traders Constructors, Inc., also did not submit a letter of non-participation; seven, Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation, submitted letter of non-participation and the financial proposal exceeded the agency budget cost, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for the response with respect to the second competitive bid. Let us now move on to what had been stated as the alternative mode of procurement, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

My extreme reservation with respect to this manner of procurement is, although it is not technically a negotiated procurement in the real sense, it is an alternative mode. But my only reservation really is, how is it that those that had not qualified in the first two biddings were still invited to make a bid in this third mode of procurement, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. The reason was that when they participated, Mr. Speaker, they were disqualified because the financial proposal is very high so they participated in the negotiated procurement, Mr. Speaker. They did value engineering works.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for the response, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. My next question, is this a regular manner by which the Department undertakes the bidding of projects? This alternative

mode of procurement, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague, because I also understand, this is not in the law. It is just in the implementing rules and regulations of the particular procurement law, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

REP. UNGAB. Mr. Speaker, it is allowed under Section 53.1 of the Revised IRR of RA No. 9184, as amended, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Yes, which is why I am saying, Mr. Speaker. I find it in the IRR, but I do not really find it in the law. am I not correct, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Yes, it is in the implementing rules ang regulations, Mr. Speaker, the IRR.

REP. RIDON. But not in the law, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

Not in the statute, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

REP. UNGAB. The information is that very general naman ang law. Sa IRR, doon ang detalye, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Okay. We will just let that particular point proceed, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

Let us now go to the winner of this particular project, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. Before I proceed, does the DPWH regularly undertake this particular form of bidding, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague? May we know all the projects that had been undertaken in this particular mechanism of bidding, aside from the Iloilo Convention Center, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Only in cases where there is failed bidding, Mr. Speaker, only in such cases.

REP. RIDON. Can we get information on the number of times that the Department had undertaken this particular mechanism, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. We will check on that, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps, we could submit it later.

REP. RIDON. Okay. Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker. Can we state for the record who is the winner of this particular bid, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. There were four who participated in the alternative procurement, Mr. Speaker, and of the four, there were two, they are as follows—the following are


the bids of the contractors with value engineering: D.M. Consunji, Incorporated and Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation.

REP. RIDON. And the winner of this particular convention center is who? Can we state for the record, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Hilmarc’s Construction, Mr. Speaker. It is lower than the bid of D.M. Consunji, Incorporated.

REP. RIDON. Again, state for the record, the winner, Mr. Speaker.

REP. UNGAB. Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation, as far as I understand, and it is public knowledge, Mr. Speaker, this is the same construction corporation that is being investigated today by the Senate with respect to overpricing. Is it the position of the Department that those are different issues, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. Different issues, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. That we cannot peg the same issue with respect to what is being investigated today and what is being brought to the floor, with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center, Mr. Speaker.

REP. UNGAB. Two different issues, Mr. Speaker. Yes, very different issue, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. May we know, Mr. Speaker, whether this particular winning bidder had previous contracts with the DPWH in the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague?

REP. UNGAB. There were previous yes, but they are ISO certified and they have experience in building construction, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. Thank you for the response. May we kindly just get maybe a report …

REP. UNGAB. Yes.

REP. RIDON. … from the Department on all of the …

REP. UNGAB. Yes, we will provide that, Mr. Speaker.

REP. RIDON. … projects that had been undertaken by the Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation in the 10 ten years, Mr. Speaker, and their amounts for the information of this Representation.

At this point, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague, let me just reiterate the request of this Representation for information. First would be the full documentation with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center and all the Hilmarc’s projects undertaken with the DPWH in the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague.

Let me sum up this interpellation by stating that it is this Representation’s position that we will really have to ask the difficult and hard and inconvenient questions with respect to public works, Mr. Speaker, especially since the particular winning contractor has been involved in a very high profile Senate investigation, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague. At this point, we are not making any judgment as to whatever it is with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center but we are most hopeful, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleague, that as we proceed with the full and comprehensive investigation of the ICC in the next couple of weeks in Congress, we will be provided with the truth on whether or not, first, this is the true and fair cost of the project and that there was no overpricing; and second, the rigging of the bids with respect to the Iloilo Convention Center.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker; thank you, distinguished Sponsor; thank you to the Department, Mr. Secretary.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Thank you, Honorable Ridon.

The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.What is the pleasure of the Dep. Minority Leader,

the Honorable Lopez?

REP. LOPEZ (C.J.). Mr. Speaker, since there are no further questions on the part of the Minority, I move to terminate the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways. (Applause)


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). There is a motion from the Minority, what does the Dep. Majority Leader say?

REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, we second the motion to close the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.



The Chair declares, therefore, that the period of


sponsorship and debate on the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways is terminated.


REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, at this juncture, I move that we open the period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Health.



The period of sponsorship and debate on the budget of the Department of Health is hereby resumed.


REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, I move for a few minutes suspension of the session.


It was 7:12 p.m.




The Sr. Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

SUSPENSION OF CONSIDERATION OF H.B. NO. 4968

REP. BANAL. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.I move that we suspend the consideration of House

Bill No. 4968, Mr. Speaker.


The consideration of said House Bill is suspended.

RATIFICATION OF CONF. CTTEE. RPT. ON H.B. NO. 4553 AND S.B. NO. 2274

REP. BANAL. Mr. Speaker, we are in receipt of the Conference Committee Report reconciling the disagreeing provisions of House Bill No. 4553 and Senate Bill No. 2274.

May I ask that the Secretary General be directed to read only the titles of the measures.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.*

The Secretary General is directed to read only the titles of the measures.

With the permission of the Body, and since copies of the Conference Committee Report have been previously distributed, the Secretary General read only the titles of the measures without prejudice to inserting the text of the report in the Congressional Record.

THE SECRETARY GENERAL. House Bill No. 4553, ent i t led: AN ACT EXPANDING ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES BY INSTITUTIONALIZING OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR; and Senate Bill No. 2274, entitled: AN ACT TO EXPAND ACCESS TO EDUCATION THROUGH OPEN LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN TERTIARY LEVELS OF EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

REP. BANAL. Mr. Speaker, I move that we ratify the said Conference Committee Report.

VIVA VOCE VOTING

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). As many as are in favor of approving the Conference Committee Report, please say aye.

SEVERAL MEMBERS. Aye.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). As many as are against, please say nay. (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

The Conference Committee Report is approved.




* See MEASURES CONSIDERED (printed separately)





THE SECRETARY GENERAL. House Bill No. 3575, entitled: AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE LADDERIZED INTERFACE BETWEEN TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND HIGHER EDUCATION; and Senate Bill No. 2272, entitled: AN ACT S T R E N G T H E N I N G T H E L A D D E R I Z E D I N T E R FA C E B E T W E E N T E C H N I C A L -VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND HIGHER EDUCATION.


VIVA VOCE VOTING



THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). As many as are against, please say nay. (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

The Conference Committee Report is approved.







THE SECRETARY GENERAL. House Bill No. 4860, entitled: AN ACT PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS TO TOP GRADUATES OF ALL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS ENROLLING FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR; and Senate Bill No. 2275, entitled: AN ACT MANDATING ALL STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO ANNUALLY CONFER AUTOMATIC ADMISSION AND PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS TO THE TOP TEN (10) PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF THEIR GRADUATING CLASS, AND ALLOCATE FUNDS THEREFOR.


VIVA VOCE VOTING



THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). As many as are against, please say nay.

FEW MEMBERS. Nay.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The ayes have it; the motion is approved.

The Confe r ence Commi t t e e Repo r t i s approved.

REP. BANAL. Last one, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with our Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation, I move that we refer House Resolution No. 816 to the Committee on Energy.



The said Resolution is referred to the Committee on Energy.

* See MEASURES CONSIDERED (printed separately)


CONSIDERATION OF H.B. NO. 4968Continuation

PERIOD OF SPONSORSHIP AND DEBATE

REP. BANAL. Mr. Speaker, I move that we resume the consideration of House Bill No. 4968 and ask the Secretary General to read only the title of the said Bill.


The Secretary General is directed to read the title of the bill.

THE SECRETARY GENERAL. House Bill No. 4968, entitled: AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY-ONE, TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.


REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, I ask for a few minutes suspension of the session.


It was 7:17 p.m.




The Hon. Juan Pablo “Rimpy” P. Bondoc, the Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, at this juncture, I move that we recognize Hon. J.C. Rahman A. Nava, M.D., to answer questions as Sponsor for the budget of the Department of Health.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Honorable Nava is again recognized for his sponsorship of the proposed budget of the Department of Health.


REP. BONDOC. Mr. Speaker, for his interpellation, I move that we recognize our honorable colleague from the Party-List BUHAY, the Hon. Jose “Lito” L. Atienza Jr..

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Honorable Jose “Lito” L. Atienza Jr. from the Party-List BUHAY is recognized for his interpellation.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, with the kind indulgence of the Sponsor, we would like to ask some questions about prevailing relevant issues now.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Please proceed.

REP. NAVA (J.). Willingly, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Distinguished colleague, one of the most important issues that is now affecting the health conditions of our people pertains to the Reproductive Health Law that has been passed by this Congress last year, and declared partly constitutional and unconstitutional by no less than the Supreme Court. I would like to ask, Mr. Speaker, in consultation with the Department of Health, ang RH Law po ba that has been pending implementation is now being implemented in any part of the country?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the provision of the budget intended for reproductive health, Your Honor, there is an existing budget for that this year and next year. The Family Health and Responsible Parenting has a proposed budget of P3.2 billion, Your Honor, from this year’s budget of P2.5 billion, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, for the appreciation of the Body, may we ask our distinguished colleague to speak louder so that we can intelligently exchange questions and answers.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Family Health and Responsible Parenting as proposed for next year has a P3.274 billion budget from this year’s P2.538 billion, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Uulitin ko po ang tanong. Ang Reproductive Health ba Law ay ipinatutupad na sa kasalukuyan o hindi pa?

REP. NAVA (J.). Hindi pa, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Hindi pa ipinatutupad. Ano ang nangyayari sa mga mahihirap na communities ngayon na itinutulak na ang batas na ito? Ang tanong ko po, mayroon na bang IRR issued pertaining to this law


that will qualify and legalize any implementation or implementary efforts today?

REP. NAVA (J.). We already have the IRR, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, although the law itself is not yet implemented. But since last year we already initiated appropriations intended for programs related to family health and responsible parenting. As I mentioned earlier, for this year, programs for family health and responsible parenting has a budget of over P2.5 million, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. May we ask our distinguished colleague, if he relates responsible parenting and birth control all in the same equation?

REP. NAVA (J.). Those are part of the programs that are intended under the Reproductive Health Law, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Let me remind my distinguished colleague that in the deliberations of the Supreme Court on this very controversial issue, it was stressed by the government that reproductive health is not, in any way, birth control. Kaya ngayon po ay nagugulat ako, kung in spite of the constitutional question settled by the Supreme Court, na hindi dapat ito birth control, ay tila tinatanggap na ngayon ng Committee on Health na ito ay birth control measure. Nagbago na po ba ang definition ng “responsible parenthood” to nothing but birth control aimed at controlling the birth of more Filipinos?

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, it is more of an informed choice rather than a birth control program.

If I may read the details of the proposed program, Your Honor, this would include: micronutrient, family planning commodities, training materials, community health teams, adolescent immunization, Kalusugan Pangkalahatan KP Roadshow, family health advocacy and campaign, grade school vaccine booster campaign, administration cost freight, handling and warehousing cost. Those that were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court are not included in this program, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Distinguished colleague, the decision of the Supreme Court is very clear. There are provisions in that proposed law that were taken up which were clearly, definitely declared unconstitutional. Like for instance, the use of any contraceptive materials which are not cleared by the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration, cannot even be touched by this program. At this point in time, I would like to inquire from our distinguished colleague, mayroon na po bang na-submit na mga contraceptive materials sa Bureau of

Food and Drug Administration to be cleared so that they may be included in the program?

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Gentlemen on the floor are advised to address the Chair.

REP. NAVA (J.). There is none, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, I am asking the question relevant to what is going on in the field contrary to what is claimed tonight, that the Reproductive Health Law is not being implemented yet.

Today, seminars and meetings and orientations, and in fact, tying it up with the CCT Program, the poor are being given seminars on population control, or I would say being “brainwashed” to believe that the solution to our economic problems is to reduce the number of their children. Napakasakit po tanggapin sapagkat mali, hindi tama at labag sa ating Saligang Batas at sa Korte Suprema. I would like our distinguished colleague to state categorically, ito po bang Reproductive Health Law ay ipinatutupad na o hindi pa?

REP. NAVA (J.). Only in part because those provisions that were declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court are not being implemented by the Department, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, the decision of the Supreme Court is very clear.

The law cannot be implemented without the issuance of an IRR yet, and the IRR have not been issued as of this moment. Ano ang kanilang itinuturo sa mga mahihirap ngayon? What is the basis of all of these programs and projects and seminars and orientations aimed at the poor communities of the country, especially in Metro Manila? Kung wala pa pong iniisyung IRR, what basis are they using? May I ask my distinguished colleague and, for the record, let us put it in the congressional record, ano ang kanilang ginagamit na basis?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, if the Gentleman from BUHAY is referring to those programs that are linked up to NHTS, then it is not being implemented by DOH, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. The Department of Health, Mr. Speaker, has been inquired from by several organizations as to what contraceptive materials they are including in their campaign to implement this law as soon as they are able to comply with the requirements like the issuance of the IRR. But up to now, in spite of two letters, wala pong isinasagot ang Department of Health. Kaya ang


tanong, ano po ang kanilang itinuturo kung wala pang clearance sa Food and Drug Administration? How are we sure that the contraceptive materials that they are recommending are not abortifacient, are not contrary to law and a clear violation of the rights of the poor whom they are victimizing?

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH is not promoting abortifacient substances or drugs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, only the Food and Drug Administration can settle this and not the Department of Health. Ang sinabi po ng Korte Suprema, kinakailangang may clearance ang Food and Drug Administration, hindi po ang Department of Health. Kaya hindi pupuwedeng sabihin, we are presuming that the contraceptive materials that we are going to use in this campaign are cleared by the Department of Health. That is not within the ambit of the Supreme Court opinion on the constitutionality of this law. Kaya ang tanong ko, ano ang kanilang basis for even attempting to now implement a population control program for the Philippines e wala pa ngang compliance with the decision of the Supreme Court? Kailangan bang bumalik pa kami sa Korte Suprema at sabihin, “ipinatutupad na ang batas ng wala po sa lugar” o gusto ninyong sumunod na lang tayo pare-pareho sa batas nang hindi naman tayo nalalagay sa alanganin.

At this juncture, Deputy Speaker Padilla relinquished the Chair to Deputy Speaker Apostol.

The Secretary of the Department of Health is here, all the staffers of the Department of Health are here, so why do we not settle this once and for all? Is the Department implementing the Reproductive Health Law or not yet, and do they commit not to implement this from here on? As of today, may scheduled seminars na ang itinuturo na sa mga mahihirap ay kung papaano magbabawas ng kanilang bilang ng anak. Para bagang ang problema ng Pilipinas ay nasa bilang ng tao, e alam naman natin ang problema ng Pilipinas at ang problema ng mga mahihirap ay kaugnay sa hindi tamang pamamahala ng ating pamahalaan. May we get a categorical answer, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, only those that were declared by the Supreme Court unconstitutional are those that are not being implemented, particularly those regarding abortifacient drug substances. In fact, as of now, the FDA is reevaluating 51 products from 10 companies on this matter, Mr. Speaker. As far as other methods like tubal ligation and vasectomy, I think it is still being implemented, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, ang linaw po ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Bago ipatupad ang batas na ito, kinakailangang mayroong malinaw na malinaw na set of rules and regulations na magbibigay ng paraan upang ang lahat ng tao, lahat ng Pilipino ay sumunod sa iisang batas. Inamin po nila wala pang IRR ngayon. Ano itong ipinatutupad nilang partially on the basis of approved or declared consti tutional provisions when the decision pertains to the whole and not partially? Hindi pupuwedeng magkaroon ng anumang population control program na kaugnay dito sa Reproductive Health Law na hindi pa po dumadaan sa issuance ng IRR pertaining to the same law.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department of Health, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, already released the IRR for this. We can provide a copy of the IRR that was published by the Department, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. Is our distinguished colleague saying that we already have a set of rules to cover the implementation of this law? Iyon po ba ang sinasabi niya at hihingi ako ng ebidensiya roon?

REP. NAVA (J.). We have it, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. May we ask for a copy of this said IRR. I am talking about the Reproductive Health Law which was the highly controversial divisive law ever passed by this Congress.

REP. NAVA (J.). We can provide it, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker. May I ask for a one minute suspension of the session to see it.


THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The session is suspended.

It was 7:37 p.m.



THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The session is resumed.

REP. ATIENZA. During the break, Mr. Speaker, our distinguished colleague and I had a brief meeting. He is showing me, for the record, as I requested, a set of


rules the DOH issued before the decision of the Supreme Court. Hindi po iyon ang IRR na sinasabi na desisyon ng Korte Suprema sapagkat when that was issued, the presumption was that the whole law was legal and in accordance with the Constitution. But after the decision of the Supreme Court was issued, very clear, ang mga provision na labag sa karapatang pantao, labag sa ating Saligang Batas ay hindi puwedeng ipatupad ng Department of Health.

Doon po sa Korte Suprema, naglahad tayong lahat ng kanya-kanyang mga layunin at ng lahat ng kadahilanan, doon natin idiniin. This is nothing but a population control law that will deprive the birth of more children in our country, the only hope of our country for posterity, the biggest asset of the Philippines, the children being born.

Lumabas po ang desisyon. Nag-desisyon ang Korte Suprema dahil ang sabi po ng gobyerno hindi raw ito population control but reproductive health in protection of the good health of the mothers. Iyon po ang nagdala ng argumento na hindi raw po birth control ang Reproductive Health Bill. Kaya noong ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema ay lumabas, malinaw na sinabi ng Korte Suprema na ang mga pipigil sa pagbubuntis at magpapalaglag lalo na ng mga sanggol na nakakapit na sa matres, sa sinapupunan ng isang kababaihan ay hindi dapat isali sa programa. Kaya kinailangan magkaroon ng bagong set of rules and regulations to protect that particular intention of the Supreme Court decision.

Sinabi rin po na huwag magpapatupad ng maski anuman na may kinalaman dito sa layuning ito nang hindi pumapasa sa Food and Drug Administration, dahil ang aming sinasabi, marami sa contraceptive materials ay abortifacient in nature. Buhay na ang sanggol ay ipinalalaglag ng gamot. Ang sabi nila susunod sila pero hanggang sa ngayon po ay wala pa pong listahan ang Food and Drug Administration. Ano po ang kanilang ginagamit na mga modelo na mga materyal to prevent pregnancy? When asked and inquired from, they do not even answer. Ayaw sumagot at ayaw liwanagin para mapanatag po ang lahat ng sektor na tayong lahat ay sumusunod sa batas. For the record, I am again stating, the IRR presented by our dear colleague covers the month of March, way behind, or before the issuance of the Supreme Court decision and is not in relation to the approved version of the Reproductive Health Bill.

REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, the Department reviewed all over again the IRR that was released last March 15, 2013. After the Supreme Court ruling and upon review, considering that there was none that contradicts the decision of the Supreme Court, the Department decided to pursue with IRR that was release

and approved last March 15, 2013. The DOH finds that there is nothing contradictory as far as the decision of the court is concerned on the IRR that was approved in 2013, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. May we ask our distinguished colleague if he knows the date of the Supreme Court decision?

REP. NAVA (J.). April 8, 2014, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Abril, hindi po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). April 8, 2014, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. April 8. Therefore, it was only on April 8 when the issues were made clear, not in March. So, the Department of Health could not have issued a set of rules and regulations before the decision was rendered. The presumption of the Department of Health and that of the government in March was that the Reproductive Health Law would be sustained by the Supreme Court, but it was not. Kalahati lang po ang sinabing puwede, ang kalahati sinabi hindi puwede kaya hindi pupuwede ang rules and regulations issued before the decision to be considered valid and in compliance with the decision of the highest court of the land. Ganoon lang kasimple iyon. Hindi puwede ang rules noong Marso ay ipasunod pagkatapos ng Abril. Kinakailangan po natin ngayon set of rules and regulations to now contain all the limitations defined by the Supreme Court so that we will all follow one rule and one law.

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the legal position of the DOH after a review of the previously published IRR is to retain the said IRR, considering that it is not in conflict with the decision of the Supreme Court, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. But we would still request the Department of Health, Mr. Speaker, wala naman sigurong masama na mag-issue kayo ng panibagong IRR after the decision has been rendered, unless you really just want to stonewall on the issue. Ayaw ninyong mag-aksaya ng anumang klaseng pagsunod sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema. We will interpret this position as nothing but stonewalling on what they believe and not respecting what others believe, and what has been defined by the Supreme Court.

Would you rather that we stay divided in this manner, or would you rather that we all unite in compliance with one law for the country?


REP. NAVA (J.). The Department is willing to do a review and to revisit this IRR, for that matter, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Palagay ko po, Mr. Speaker, that is the most practical position that the Department of Health can take right now. Reviewhin at tingnan ninyo ulit, and please distinguished colleague, sana naman sumasagot sila sa mga sulat ng mga hindi naniniwala sa kabutihang idudulot ng batas na ito. It is good enough that everybody will have to follow one law. When the Supreme Court has decided, we respect that, we will all follow it. Pero wala po naman sigurong masamang liwanagin ng Department of Health sa lahat ng nagtatanong, sumusulat ang Pro-Life Philippines, sumusulat ang ibang organisasyon, e mukhang waste basket lang ang pinupuntahan ng sulat nila. Para bagang wala na tayong pag-uusapan, hindi po siguro ganyan dapat ang attitude ng Department of Health.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will reconsider their position, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Thank you, distinguished colleague, and just one minor matter.

Right now there is a massive vaccination campaign going on. Ang sinasabi po ng gobyerno, ito na ang paraan upang ang mga batang mahihirap ay mabakunahan, mabakunahan ng anti-measles, anti-smallpox, chickenpox, lahat ng mga sakit na pumapatay ng buhay ay ibibigay ng libre ng pamahalaan. Tama po ba ito? Totoo ba ang aking tinuran na ang kampanya ngayon ay bakunahan ang kulang-kulang 10 milyong batang Pilipino?

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH intends to provide immunization to all the population that requires it, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. To date, the Department has achieved 89 percent of those intended to be immunized, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Uulitin ko po ang tanong, Mr. Speaker. Mayroon po bang kampanya ngayon para bakunahan ang 10 milyong batang Pilipino?


REP. ATIENZA. Mayroon. Palagay ko hindi na tayo makakailag diyan sapagkat pinagmamalaki ng gobyerno na ang mahihirap ay babakunahan nila nang libre. Ang tanong ko lang po ay simple. Ang sabi sa buong mundo, itong bakunang ginagamit ngayon para sa mga bata ay mayroong kalakip na sterilizing component na maaaring maging baog ang mga babakunahan ngayon pagdating ng kanilang maturity years. Iyan bang mga bakunang ginagamit ngayon ay alam ng Department of Health kung saan nanggagaling o kung saan binibili?

REP. NAVA (J.). All the vaccines that are being used by the Department are prequalified by the UNICEF and the WHO, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Ito po bang mga bakunang ito, Mr. Speaker, ay dumadaan sa Food and Drug Administration sapagkat maituturing natin na ito ay dapat tiyak-na-tiyak, walang nilalaman na anumang makasisira sa kinabukasan ng mga binabakunahan.

Maganda ang sinasabi, pero maaring magbunga ng masama. Tiyak ba natin na itong mga vaccine ay ligtas sa anumang elemento na sisira sa pagkatao ng mga mahihirap?


REP. ATIENZA. Ano po ang pinagbabasehan natin upang sabihin nating tiyak na walang masamang epekto ang mga bakunang ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). It has passed the required tests from the BFDA and sanctioned by international agencies like the WHO and the UNICEF.

REP. ATIENZA. Mabuti po ay tumbukin na natin, mas dependable po ang Bureau of Food and Drug Administration kaysa doon sa mga international organizations whose primary objective precisely is to reduce the number of Filipinos being born. Kapag hindi pa ninyo alam ang adyendang iyan ay palagay ko ay may problema talaga tayo. The agenda of the rich nations today is not to allow promising citizens of the world like the Filipinos to multiply because they do not want us to be too many, dahil alam nilang dadaigin natin sila kung tayo ay dadami sa balat ng lupa.

Mayroon po bang Bureau of Food and Drug Administration clearance itong mga bakunang ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier.

REP. ATIENZA. Mayroon po?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Bakit po nag-isyu ang Department of Health ng memorandum order na hindi na kailangan ng Bureau of Food and Drug Administration clearance ang mga donated vaccines? Aba ako ay nagulat nang nakita ko iyon sapagkat ang panganib ay nandoon sa donated vaccines. Kapag dino-donate ang bakuna, abay magsuspetsa tayo. Bakit hindi natin ibigay lahat iyan sa Bureau of Food and Drug Administration para matiyak natin na hindi nalalagyan ng pambaog ang mga batang Filipino?


REP. NAVA (J.). The reason the DOH has done it is because all these vaccines that came in were already prequalified by the WHO, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Mr. Speaker, let me just share a very clear example of how undependable the World Health Organization is with regard to birth and population control issues. Sometime in 1993, 1994, ang WHO po ay nagbigay ng mga vaccines sa atin na kung tawagin ay tetanus toxoid. Sinabi ng Department of Health noon—hindi pa po naman si Secretary Ona iyon, ibang Secretaryo ang nagpatupad nito—bakunahan lahat ng mga kababaihan from age 14 to 44 ng anti-tetanus vaccine upang maligtas sila sa tetanus problem.

Akala ng buong bansa, ito po ay napakagandang programa. Ipinatupad ng isang napakatanyag, very popular Secretary of Department of Health who was dancing around the country telling our women, magpabakuna kayo, just do it. Alam ninyo, Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, siniyasat po naming mabuti ang bakunang ginagamit, napatunayan ng laboratoryo ng UST at ng Makati Health, Makati Hospital, na ang bakunang ginagamit ay mayroong elemento na kung tawagin ay human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), palagay ko ay nagkakaintindihan kami ni Secretary Ona dito. Ang elementong ito ay nagpapahina doon sa matres ng isang ina na hindi kakapit ang anumang similya at malalaglag ang sanggol. But at that point in time, the World Health Organization came here and defended themselves, we confronted them with the same findings. The government defended their position, we confronted them with the same findings. For every 100 vials, 20 percent contained the hCG element. Meaning, ang mga nagpabakuna noong mga panahong iyon at nakatapos ng tatlong bakuna ay hindi na po manganganak, 20 percent of our women po were sterilized in one program.

Today, there are many foundations under the population control fund, like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, providing hundreds of millions of dollars-worth, maybe billions of dollars-worth of vaccine for poor countries like the Philippines. Kaawa-awa po tayo. All in the guise of caring for our people, but the net effect and impact is not to allow them to bear children anymore when their time comes to multiply. Ang tanong ko po, mayroon bang mga bakunang galing dito sa mga foundation na ito na ginagamit ngayon sa kampanya? Like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, publicly ang sinabi po nitong foundation na ito, hindi na kailangan pang turuan ng birth control ang mga ina. Bakunahan na lang ang mga bata ngayon at hindi na manganganak iyan kailanman. Do you read the same materials that we are reading or maybe you are not? Do you get the same information that we are getting? Maybe you do not. That is why it is our duty in this Chamber to bring out the issues frontally, now more than ever. Ang mga materyal po ba sa Department of

Health ay dumadaan sa FDA? Hindi, dahil ang sabi ni Secretary Ona, kapag donated iyan, huwag na lamang ninyong ipa-imbistiga sapagkat iyan ay dumaan na sa United Nations. Ang United Nations mismo ang may pakana nitong programang ito. Baogin ang mga Pilipino. Kaya ang amin pong pakiusap, kung ang kapakanan ng ating mga mamamayan, ang kalusugan ng ating mga mamamayan ang inyong nilalayon, palagay ko ay magandang inspeksyunin nating mabuti ang mga bakunang ginagamit kung talagang malinis po ang inyong layunin.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department of Health, Mr. Speaker, begs to disagree with regard to the allegation of the Gentleman from BUHAY Party-List on the matter of vaccines for tetanus that were injected before. As far as the DOH is concerned, there was no evidence as far as the allegation is concerned and it was referred to as a global hoax at that time. The only vaccines that were donated recently came from Prince William of the United Kingdom, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Is the Gentleman disproving my narration about the tetanus toxoid or the vaccine of today?

REP. NAVA (J.). The tetanus toxoid as far as the DOH is concerned has no proof as far as the said allegation is concerned, and it was referred to as a global hoax that time. As to the donated vaccines, the only donated vaccines came from Prince William of the United Kingdom, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Kung sa issue po ng tetanus toxoid ay tumatanggi ang Department of Health, wala po akong mararamdaman kung hindi kaawaan sila sa kanilang pagiging bulag sa katotohanan, sapagkat tinaggap na po ng Department of Health ang aming posisyon at sumbong noong mga panahong iyon. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Itinigil po ang kampanya sapagkat talagang may punto ang kabilang panig na nagsasabing huwag ninyong lasunin ang mga ina at kababaihang Pilipino. Pero kung iyan ay idini-deny ng mga wala namang kinalaman noong mga panahong iyon, aba ay lalo na po akong namamangha. Kung si Secretary Ona ay nagsasabing hindi totoo iyon, sasabihin ko sa kanya, “hindi mo nalalaman ang sinasabi mo.” Ay patatawarin ka ng Panginoon dahil hindi mo nalalaman ang sinasabi mo.

Now, on the issue of today, may we ask the Department of Health for samples of the vaccines that they are using. This humble Representation would like to request officially, bigyan ninyo kami ng isang kahon man lang upang kami na ang magpapa-check nito at hindi na kayo. Hindi na kayo gagastos upang matiyak


lamang namin na ang bakunang ginagamit ninyo sa mga batang walang kamalay-malay ay hindi sisira sa kanilang pagkalalake at pagkatao.

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH is willing to do that, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. They can provide it tomorrow and we can ask the Food and Drug Administration to do the necessary test if so desired. With regard to the alleged tetanus toxoid, the information from the DOH is that there was no test report that came from UST or St. Luke’s for that matter, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. ATIENZA. Kagaya ng sinabi ko po, puwede nilang i-deny iyan. Ayaw nilang sumali po sa kampanyang ipagtanggol ang karapatan ng Pilipino. Problema po ninyo iyan, but at that point in time, they stopped the program because they accepted the fact na hindi dependable iyong purity noong toxoid na ginagamit. We are warning all Members of Congress, bago ninyo pabakunahan ang inyong mga kabataan ngayon, tiyakin muna natin na iyong bakunang ginagamit nila ay walang laman upang baugin ang mga batang Pilipino. We would appreciate it if the Department of Health, with their clear conscience, will give us samples or vials of these vaccines and then together, we will search for the truth on this issue. Otherwise, if they refuse ay wala po tayong magagawa pero mananagot po sila balang-araw sa mga lahing darating o hindi ipanganganak dahil sasabihin natin na ang kasalanan ay nasa pamunuan ng Department of Health ngayon. So, we are requesting for samples or these vials so that, together, we can search for the truth. Maaari po ba iyon?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will do that, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. They will bring us the samples of vaccines tomorrow.

REP. ATIENZA. Kung puwede po na iyong kahon ay iyong bago at selyado, dahil kung iyan po naman ay paghahalu-haluin ninyo ay wala po tayong makikita riyan.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department will do that, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. ATIENZA. May we expect that?

REP. NAVA (J.). They will do that tomorrow, Your Honor, to bring the sealed box of vaccines.

REP. ATIENZA. Just one more question along the same issue. Are we getting any donations from the foundations of Bill and Melinda Gates?

REP. NAVA (J.). The only vaccines that were donated, to date, Your Honor, came from, as I said

earlier, the Prince of United Kingdom, the Prince of Wales of the United Kingdom.

REP. ATIENZA. We will take that answer as valid at this point in time, but we will just double-check on how the donations from the foundations of the Gates couple are being distributed to the different foundations. We would just request the good Secretary of Health, we respect him to be a very professional practitioner, a man of experience and a man who has passed through different tests in our political history. I would expect him to support our efforts to protect the interest of our children by not stonewalling on the materials that are necessary and the steps to be taken.

Maganda pong ipakita natin sa FDA lahat iyan. Humingi tayo ng clearance para sama-sama po tayong nananagot sa mga maaaring maging bunga ng kampanyang ito, na sa tingin ng marami ay ang layunin lang po ay para kumonti ang bilang ng Pilipino samantalang ang pag-asa na lang ng ating bansa ay ang panganganak pa ng maraming Filipino. The only element now keeping our economy alive is the poor Filipinos suffering, in their overseas employment, being separated from their families but working very hard and earning a decent livelihood. Sa malinis na pananalapi ay binubuhay ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay dito sa ating bansa at bumubuhay sa ating ekonomiya.

So, let us not play around with the population growth of the Philippines. Alam natin na iyong may mararaming tao sa anumang bahagi ng mundo ay umuunlad na ngayon— China, India, just to name the two most populous nations in the world. Iyong may mga kumakaunting bilang ngayon tulad ng Japan; Italy, Germany and much of Europe; and Singapore, in spite of their temporary economic progress, are now being threatened by the decimation of their population count. Kapag nawala po ang tao ay wala na pong ekonomiya. Kapag dumami ang tao at maayos ang pamamahala ng gobyerno ay uunlad ang anumang lipunan. Iyon po ang aming ipinaglalaban sa BUHAY Party-List at iyon po naman ang aming inilalahad sa ating Kagawaran ng Kalusugan sa pagkakataong ito.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker, at this point, I move that the Hon. Walden F. Bello from the Party-List AKBAYAN be recognized for his interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The honorable Cong. Walden Bello is recognized.

REP. BELLO (W.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and honorable colleague. First of all, let me thank Cong.


Emmi A. De Jesus from the Party-List GABRIELA for yielding her time to me.

I have just one question. I would not have raised this except that I was bothered by one of the responses of the Department of Health. You see, the GAMCA system—incidentally, I am the Chair of the Overseas Workers Affairs Committee—is a consortium of clinics that are mandated only by the Gulf States to have the sole authority to conduct tests on workers headed for the Gulf States. The different agencies of the Philippine government have disapproved of this and indeed, they have seen this as an intrusion on Philippine sovereignty; and not only them, but it has been the position of so many of our overseas workers in that they feel, in fact, that this system is monopolized by an alien group and that this is not to their interest.

On account of this, Mr. Speaker, honorable colleague, on April 23, at a hearing of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, the Inter-Agency Task Force on GAMCA headed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. De Villa, committed to the Committee and to Congress that it would phase out the GAMCA system by the end of November of this year. I was just surprised at the answer that was given by the Department of Health that they were going to review this GAMCA system when, in fact, a commitment was already made at the hearing on April 23 that this would be phased out. Is the Department of Health going back on this commitment? You see, this is quite a surprise to us kasi alam naman natin that the delegates of the Department of Health that they sent to our hearings were mandated to make authoritative statements and so, we were quite surprised that there was not a more definitive statement that this would be phased out.

Has Secretary Ona been informed of, apprised of this decision on the part of the Inter-agency Task Force to phase it out?

REP. NAVA (J.). The issue that was raised, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, was only the price, and only the prices of the procedures or the laboratory studies were put into question and that is what the DOH is trying to look into, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BELLO (W.). I am sorry, but we might be speaking about two different things. Iyong GAMCA Decking System ho, iyon ho ang committed …

REP. NAVA (J.). They phase out—the DOH has committed—what was raised earlier is on the issue of the price, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BELLO (W.). I am not exactly clear if we are talking about the same thing.

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH is committed to the GAMCA phaseout, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BELLO (W.). Yes, I am so glad, dear colleague, Mr. Speaker, that this commitment is, in fact, a commitment of the Department of Health and this has been made in the plenary. So, we would expect, therefore, that the Department of Health, as part of the Inter-Agency Task Force will see to it that this GAMCA system is outlawed and phased out by the end of November this year.

Thank you very much to the Secretary as well as to the honorable Sponsor for reaffirming this phasing-out of a system that is an intrusion on our sovereignty and is such a big burden on our OFWs. Maraming salamat ho, Mr. Speaker; maraming salamat, dear colleague; and Secretary Ona, thank you very much.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker, at this point, I move that we recognize the Hon. Emmi A. De Jesus from the Party-List GABRIELA for her interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Apostol). The Honorable De Jesus is recognized to interpellate.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, at magandang gabi po sa pamilya ng DOH.

Actually, Mr. Speaker, the first point I would like to raise is on the issue of the National Health Insurance Program for the indigents which was exhaustibly discussed na po kanina by my colleague, Congressman Colmenares, and earlier, also by Congresswoman Leah Paquiz. I would like to reiterate our position with regard to the Insurance Program which has a very big budget for 2015, a proposal of P37,060,440. I am also ofh the position that rather than spending this large amount of money for insurance, we might as well directly put the money into hospitals and logically, mas madali po itong ma-a-access ng ating mahihirap na kababayan.

At this juncture, Deputy Speaker Apostol relinquished the Chair to Presiding Officer Banal.

Also, may katanungan din po ako rito sa programang ito kaugnay po ng, muli, iyong papel po ng DSWD. Ang nakalagay po kasi doon sa Special Provision No. 7, ang bibigyan ng full premium po lamang ay iyon pong mga under the National Housing Targeting System (NHTS) survey na binigyan ng kapasiyahan ng DSWD. Is it correct, Mr. Sponsor?

REP. NAVA (J.). That is what is provided in the Special Provision, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, but the


Committee suggested that we might as well add others that may not be within the NHTS but qualifies as poor or low income as determined by the DSWD local social welfare officer or medical social welfare officer, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. My point is, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, it is again in coordination with the DSWD listings. Am I correct, Mr. Sponsor?

REP. NAVA (J.). If we will stick to the NHTS, then we will be limited to the NHTS-PR list of the DSWD, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you, Mr. Sponsor.Nakalagay din po rito sa Special Provision that

only seven percent of the intended budget should be for the administrative costs. Doon po sa nakaraang taon, dahil naglaan na rin po tayo ng budget dito, how would you evaluate doon po sa implementation noong program vis-à-vis the percentage that was spent on the implementation of the National Health Insurance Program?

REP. NAVA (J.). It was still seven percent previously, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, so we just carried the seven percent proposal still.

REP. DE JESUS. Can I have the absolute figure, Mr. Speaker, of the amount allotted in 2014 and the seven percent spent for the implementation, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The total amount intended for the NHTS, under the NHTS indigents subsidy for the health premium is P37,060,440 for the administrative cost of that seven percent.

REP. DE JESUS. So, Mr. Sponsor, hindi po tayo lumampas at hindi po tayo nakulangan?

REP. NAVA (J.). Somewhere at P2.5 billion, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So, within the seven percent range, Mr. Sponsor.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is seven percent.

REP. DE JESUS. So, thank you, Mr. Sponsor. On the provision regarding Assistance to Indigent Patients and its allotted budget, the proposed budget is P1,762,349,000. So, my question is, can you possibly share with us the mechanism on how to implement this kasi, siguro po sa biglang tingin, ang ganda talagang tingnan, ano, “Assistance to Indigent Patients.” Tapos,

mayroon din tayong, kumbaga, kapag ang iyong paninindigan ay katulad ng binanggit namin kanina na sana diretso na sa mga ospital at ibigay na doon sa mga indigents kaysa makakuha pa ng insurance, tapos mayroong Assistance to Indigent Patients na another P1.7 billion, ano po ang difference nito, ano ang mechanism nito at saan ito naka-reflect sa budget, doon po sa tatlong classification natin?

At this juncture, Presiding Officer Banal relinquished the Chair to Deputy Speaker Padilla.

REP. NAVA (J.). This will be downloaded to the DOH hospitals, Your Honor. The P600 million is part of the P1.7 billion.

REP. DE JESUS. I am sorry, Mr. Sponsor. Ang amount pong stated is P1.7 billion so ang tanong ko po: iba pa ba ito doon sa nababanggit na total budget ng ahensiya?

REP. NAVA (J.). The P1.7 billion is part of the DOH budget, Your Honor.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you, Mr. Sponsor, for that answer. What is the mechanism for implementing this kasi sabi ko nga, ano, sana iyong provision sa National Health Insurance Program for the indigents at saka ito, naku, di ang laki sana kung diretso na ilalaan sa mga ospital. Can you possibly expound on the mechanism on how this Assistance to Indigent Patients is being implemented?

REP. NAVA (J.). It will be governed by the current guidelines on the implementation of the medical assistance program, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So, ang ibig sabihin po nito, iyon mga indigents na mayroong full premium subsidy for health insurance pero mangangailangan pa ng lampas doon sa kanilang subsidy, o ito ay iba namang grupo ng mga pasyenteng mahihirap—can you clarify on this, Mr. Sponsor?

REP. NAVA (J.). Most likely, it is to accommodate those that do not belong to the group that was provided the subsidy for the health insurance premium, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, considering that all those enrolled under the national government subsidy program do not need to “cash out” anything if admitted or hospitalized since they are covered by the “no balance billing” program of the DOH and PhilHealth, Your Honor. Those most likely avail of this assistance are those not included in the so-called subsidy program, Mr. Speaker. In fact, there are other programs that may help those without PhilHealth under the Point-of-Care Enrollment Program of the DOH, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.


REP. DE JESUS. Just to further clarify, Mr. Sponsor. Halimbawa po, ang isang indigent holder ng insurance ay kinapos, or is there a ceiling on the medical assistance to the holder of a health insurance, can the patient still avail himself of the Assistance to Indigent Patients fund, Mr. Sponsor?

REP. NAVA (J.). He or she will not need it anymore, Mr. Speaker, considering that he or she is covered by the “no balance billing” program of PhilHealth, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. For that matter, there will be no cash out that the patient will have, Your Honor, considering they will be totally subsidized by the hospital and PhilHealth.

REP. DE JESUS. So, Mr. Speaker, categorically, there is no ceiling for the indigent holder in the Health Insurance Program.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes. The program is coined “no balance billing,” Your Honor, so all the bills that may be incurred will be shouldered by PhilHealth and the servicing facility, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you for the response, Mr. Speaker.

On the issue of the PAMANA appropriation which is in Special Provision No. 9 in the GAB 2015, mayroon po ritong P47,762,000, at ang sabi po rito, for the exclusive use—“to implement projects in conflict-affected areas already identified by the OPAPP.” So, ibig sabihin po nito, ang role lang po ng DOH ay ang amount na ito ay hahawakan nila at kung may pangangailangan doon sa mga areas na sinabi ng OPAPP, ire-release na po ninyo iyong pondo, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is also intended to subsidize the health insurance premiums of those living within conflict areas, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So, ang form din po nitong P47 million is also insurance.

REP. NAVA (J.). Health insurance, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So, wala po kayong intervention dito with regard to the identification of insurance holders or beneficiaries, Mr. Sponsor?

REP. NAVA (J.). They will be identified by the OPAPP in collaboration with the other programs with PAMANA and that would be under the DWSD, Mr. Speaker. So, on the part of the DOH, that would be only for the enrollment in the National Health Insurance Program, Your Honor.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you for that clarification kasi po talagang gusto naming makita itong mga convergence —kung aling ahensiya iyong nagpapasiya sa isang usapin at ano iyong ginagawa naman noong isang kinauukulang ahensiya na kasama. Thank you for that clarification dahil marami pa po talaga tayong makikitang saluhan at criss-crossing ng mga responsibilities.

Doon naman po sa Special Provision No. 10, Socio-Economic Component of the Normalization Process, ito po ay appropriated herein for the PAMANA Program na may iba pa ring amount of P50,400,000. Ano po ang pinaglalaanan nitong socio-economic component na iniba pa doon sa Special Provision No. 9 na ang beneficiaries din ay mga areas na tinukoy ng OPAPP at within the PAMANA Program, Mr. Speaker?



It was 8:26 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). All these are for insurance premiums, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Mr. Speaker, ano po ang difference nito doon sa Special Provision No. 9 which I have mentioned is also within the PAMANA Program and with the same requirement of beneficiaries? If I were to read the title, “Socio-Economic Component of the Normalization Process,” medyo lang po nakakapagtaka na ang PhilHealth ay may hahawakang pondo na kung babasahin nga iyong packaging o iyong pamagat niya na “Socio-Economic Component,” ano po ba ito, ano ang concrete …

REP. NAVA (J.). Special Provision No. 9, Mr. Speaker, is directly related to rebels and their dependents, while Special Provision No. 10 is beyond that, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Mr. Speaker, which is what?

REP. NAVA(J.). For others who may be affected or are living within the conflict zones, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Ano po ang mare-receive noong mga beneficiaries dito? Ano iyong concrete? You mentioned


Special Provision No. 9, it is also in the form of health insurance. Dito po sa Special Provision No. 10?



It was 8:29 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). Provision No. 9, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, is for rebels and their dependents while Provisions No. 10 and 11 are intended for the Bangsamoro. All are intended for health premium subsidy, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. If that is the case, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, kasi po iyong packaging or I would say, the title noong Special Provision No. 10 is “Socio-Economic Component” kaya sa biglang tingin, ang aasahan natin dito o ang biglang maiisip natin ay may kaugnayan na naman sa livelihood, et cetera. Ang sinasabi ninyo po ba, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, PhilHealth insurance din ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, it is still under the social protection scheme intended this time for Bangsamoro unlike Special Provision No. 9 which is intended for all former rebels, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you for the answer, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker.

On the next point, dito po sa Special Provision No. 21, iyong Quick Response Fund, and for 2015 ay mayroon pong target na P500 million, may I know, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, kung noong 2014, kung magkano po ang inilaan natin dito?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is the same, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So, it is also P500,000. May unutilized ba from that P500,000, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker?



It was 8:33 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, a total of P46 million was released from the P500 million Quick Response Fund, the P22 million was released for the RITM, and the P24 million for the Bureau of Quarantine. This is an intervention for the purchase of a thermal scanner; the same way for the RITM, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, to complement the possible screening procedures needed to identify incoming passengers for detection of various diseases like Ebola, MERS coronavirus or MERS-CoV, and so on, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. DE JESUS. Thank you for the answer, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor.

So, iyon pong binanggit ninyo na nagastos noong 2014, wala po tayong naibigay doon sa areas stricken by calamities.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is still being processed, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. In fact, P200 million is in process for the Glenda typhoon, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. DE JESUS. So, this is for Glenda typhoon which happened just last July 16, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor. So, thank you for that answer.

My next point is with regard to how the DOH can possibly intervene? Alam naman po natin iyong batas ng debolusyon ng pagpapatakbo at pangangasiwa ng mga ospital ng mga respective LGUs. Halimbawa po, nalaman natin na nagkaproblema ang pamahalaan ng Maynila at ang isang naging solusyon ay doon sa anim na pampublikong ospital na dating relatibong libre ang access ng mga mahihirap dahil dalawa po rito ay kongkretong napuntahan ng Representasyong ito—doon pa naman sa area ng Tondo, iyong Gat Bonifacio Hospital—at ang banggit nga po ay —dito na naman makikita—para ang ospital ay makapagpatuloy sa kanyang operasyong, ma-o-obliga siya na maningil ng mga pasyente. Noong nakausap po namin talaga iyong mga nanay, iyong mga pamilya na nasa paligid ng Tondo na apektado nitong mga pagtaas ng singilin sa pag-avail ng medical service, ano po ba ang nakikita ninyong intervention ng DOH vis-à-vis support sa fund or whatever, ano po ang possible intervention para naman po sa kagalingan noong ating mga mamamayan sa Maynila?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, we are funding the premiums of the poorest of the poor, the


premiums for the health insurances of the poorest of the poor. We are entertaining that we would accommodate those beyond NHTS list, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. The DOH had also provided in its budget for several years the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) which is also a big support to improve the existing LGU facilities, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker

There is a Point-of-Care Enrollment Program which LGU hospitals may avail themselves of to accommodate their respective constituents by enrolling those who do not have any PhilHealth coverage, Your Honor, for those patients to avail themselves of financial security, particularly those in admitted cases that need it the most, Your Honor.

REP. DE JESUS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, so the expression, again, of support in intervention is in the form of distributing PhilHealth insurance, am I correct, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor.?

REP. NAVA (J.). It is one, you have the HFEP, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker; and it is two, there are as well outpatient cases wherein PhilHealth will intervene next year by offering primary health packages. The DOH also provides the necessary medicines, Your Honor, for various diseases to local government units for them to attend to their constituents, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. So when you mentioned a provision giving medicines to local hospitals, ang intent po nito ay for the patients to get those medicines for free, am I correct, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker?


REP. DE JESUS. Thank you for that answer. So, we can further clarify this at the local level.

On another point, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, mayroon din po kasi dito sa budget, Assistance to Private Sector Health Centers amounting to P12,435,000, and I think this is the second year that this item is in the budget. Para saan po ang pondong ito when, in fact, kapos nga iyong ating mga public health centers? Ito po, Assistance to Private Sector Health Centers, ano po ang clarification dito, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker?’

REP. NAVA (J.). This is for the Central Luzon Drug Rehabilitation Center, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Very specific po, para po sa Drug Rehabilitation Center lang po?

REP. NAVA (J.). Central Luzon.

REP. DE JESUS. Central Luzon? Ano po ito, nakahiwalay talaga po ito doon sa budget? Ibig sabihin,

this is a very specific budget identified, a very specific item. Ano po ang paliwanag dito sa P12 million na ito?



It was 8:44 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, this facility was once under the Office of the President. Eventually, it was run by a foundation and since 2004, the DOH has been supporting this institution, Your Honor. So, it happens to be carried out every year since then.

REP. DE JESUS. Salamat po sa sagot, Mr. Sponsor.

Iyong susunod na punto na gusto ko pong bigyang pansin, bilang Kinatawan ng sektor ng Kababaihan, iyon pong mahalagang issue sa amin ay kaugnay ng maternal health at kaugnay po nitong DOH Administrative Order 2008-0029— of course, 2008 pa po ito, Implementing Health Reforms for Rapid Reduction of Maternal and Neo-Natal Mortality. Para sa amin, batay sa practice ng mga kababaihan, lalong-lalo na doon sa hindi mga urban centers at higit na nasa malalayong lugar, iyong pagpapaanak po ba through the traditional birth sa pamamagitan ng traditional birth attendants, ano na po ang status ng memo na ito?



It was 8:48 p.m.




The Sponsor is recognized.

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, it is the policy now of the Department to encourage deliveries


in proper birthing facilities. In this case, the traditional birth attendants, including the skilled, are part of the team that would navigate or encourage the transfer of birthing to the said facilities, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, to the point that recent statistics showed that there are increasing deliveries in birthing clinics or other birthing facilities reaching 60 percent rather than home deliveries, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Ang gusto ko pong mabigyan ng clarification, categorically po, Mr. Sponsor, kung ito po bang administrative order na ito ay nagkaroon ng pagbabago noong 2011, dahil nakasaad doon, “promotion of facility-based deliveries and prohibition of traditional birth attendant (TBA)- assisted deliveries.” So, ang categorical, ang kasagutan ninyo po dito ay ipinagbabawal po ang TBA-assisted deliveries, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Birth facility setting deliveries are more encouraged, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, than home deliveries to guarantee safe deliveries.

REP. DE JESUS. If I may, Mr. Sponsor, siyempre ang promotion naman is in the spirit of promotion of maternal health, talaga namang gusto nating i-promote. Ang kuwestyon ko po, is there a prohibition? Kapag sinabing may prohibition—in fact, may mga nag-adopt na po kasi nga devolved tayo to the local LGUs, and some LGUs came out with ordinances. Kapag sinabi nating prohibition, iyong iba diyan ay may sanctions kaya ito po iyong gusto naming i-clarify. Ano po ba ang categorical stand dito ng ahensiya with regard to prohibition?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Secretary himself is ready to review that if there is a word “prohibition” there, but what is encouraged is birthing in proper facilities to prevent morbidity and mortality, or maternal morbidity and mortality for that matter, Your Honor. In fact, the DOH is investing so much on improving and constructing birthing clinics all over the country, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Mr. Sponsor, wala po kaming problema sa promotion at dapat lang, ano, kapag sinabi rin nating “promotion,” naririyan iyong mga prerequisites with regard to concrete support, concrete number of health practitioners and all that. Kaya positibo po ito at kaisa ninyo kami sa ganiyang spirit to promote. Ang kinakabahala lang namin at this point in time, kung ang sinasabi nga na even the Secretary is open to reviewing, just to share this with you, dahil ito pong ordinance, ito pong administrative order ay ina-adopt ng iba’t ibang munisipyo, na iyong iba pa nga ay mayroong sanctions. Halimbawa, sa isang lugar sa

Pampanga at isang lugar, ano po ito, sa Leyte, nagpasa sila ng isang ordinansa penalizing TBAs who would perform home-based child deliveries. Kapag nagpunta naman sila doon, the ordinance also provides a service charge of P2,500 to pregnant women who will deliver their babies at the municipal health center.

Ang gusto ko lang pong irehistro sa puntong ito, Mr. Sponsor, kung bukas ang DOH at dapat i-forward o ipino-forward namin na i-review na ito dahil nagkakaroon ng lisensya or license iyong mga LGUs na hindi mo mapipigilang gumawa ng kanilang sariling ordinansa within the framework of that administrative order na ang tingin namin, imbes na beneficial to mothers, at sabi nga namin na kaisa ninyo kami sa promotion ng maternal health, baka ang ibigay nito o magdulot pa ito ng negatibo, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor. Ito po ang gusto naming irehistro dito sa puntong ito.

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the Secretary has agreed to review the matter and PhilHealth is considering, in fact, to include birthing centers or birthing clinics as facility that may, as well, enroll them in or accommodate the Point-of-Care Enrollment Program so that we can further guarantee that all who need the facility will be secured financially, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. DE JESUS. Narinig ko na naman po, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, na ang isang pamamaraan na naman ng intervention ay sa pamamagitan ng PhilHealth insurance. Kung ang Representasyong ito ang tatanungin, para po sa pag-i-insure ng promotion ng maternal health, more than the insurance, isa siguro iyong pag-i-insure po na ang mga klinika, ang mga public hospitals, ay talagang may access ang ating mga nanay na manganganak o mangangailangan ng pre- and post-natal.

With that, Mr. Sponsor, Mr. Speaker, katulad noong nabanggit ko kanina, marami na pong nagpalalim kaugnay noong isyu ng PhilHealth as a program, ang pinakamalaking programa ng Departamento. Muli, ang Representasyong ito ay naniniwala at nagpo-forward na kung tayo po ay mag-aamyenda ng badyet para sa kalusugan ng ating higit na mahihirap na kababayan, sana po ang Kongreso ay magkaroon ng intervention na, rather than sa mga programa na dumadaan pa ito, through an insurance program, ay direkta na po sana itong maramdaman para sa mas mabilis ang access ng ating mga kababayang mahihirap.

With that, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, tinatapos ko na po ang aking interpellation. Thank you po.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Maraming salamat din, kagalang-galang na Kinatawang De Jesus.



REP. DEFENSOR. Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize the Honorable Tinio for his interpellation.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). The Hon. Antonio L. Tinio from ACT TEACHERS Party-List is recognized for his interpellation.

REP. TINIO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Magandang gabi po. May tatlong mayor na paksa po ako. Ang una ay hinggil sa transparency sa paggamit ng pondo ng ahensiya. Alam po natin na ang bawat ahensiya ng gobyerno ay pinagkakatiwalaan ng, sa kaso ng DOH, bilyon-bilyong piso. Dahil pondo ito ng taumbayan, may responsibilidad ang bawat ahensiya na ipakita sa taumbayan kung paano ginagastos ang bawat sentimo ng badyet na aaprobahan ng Kongreso para sa paggamit ng mga ahensiya para pakinabangan ng taumbayan, para matiyak na napakikinabangan nga nila ito at hindi ibinubulsa o pinakikinabangan ng mga korap.

Mr. Speaker, napansin ko po na para sa budget ng Department of Health ay marami pang Special Provisions na tumutukoy sa ilang mga espesyal na pondo ng Deparment of Health at napakarami rin pong mga reporting and posting requirements na matatagpuan dito sa mga Special Provisions. Nais ko po ngayong isa-isahin at kumustahin kung sinusunod po ba ng Department of Health ang mga reporting and posting requirements na ito.

As a preliminary, Mr. Speaker, napansin ko po na, in general, nakalulungkot na hindi siniseryoso ng maraming mga ahensiya na humaharap dito sa Kongreso ang batas na nakasaad sa mga Special Provisions ng General Appropriations Act, including ang requirements to report on the utilization of certain funds at saka to post this on their official website. So, ang reporting requirement, generally, pinapaulat sa ahensiya kung paano ginamit ang isang pondo and usually, pinagre-report iyan sa DBM. Tapos, usually, kasama rin ang pagre-report sa House Committee on Appropriations at saka sa Senate Finance Committee. So, ayon sa batas, pinapagpag-ulat ang mga ahensiya sa mga Kinatawan ng mamamayan, so, ito ang reporting requirement for purposes of oversight para malaman ng Kongreso, pagkatapos nating aprobahan ang budget, kung paano nila ginagastos iyong naprobahang budget.

Tapos, iyon namang posting requirement, usually, sa mga Special Provisions, kung ano ang ni-report sa DBM, Kongreso, Senado, ang mismong report na iyon ay kailangan na-post din sa website ng kanilang ahensiya. Para kanino iyan? Para iyan sa lahat ng ordinaryong mamamayan, sa taxpayers, kasi sa kanila naman nanggagaling ang pondo. So, kahit sino man, ayon sa intention ng ating General Appropriations Act, kahit sinong mamamayan na interesadong malaman

kung paano ginastos ng DOH, let us say, iyong budget nila, e, puwedeng makita dapat sa website. Pero, gaya nga ng sinabi ko, nakalulungkot na maraming mga ahensiya ay halos hindi pinapansin ang, if not the reporting requirements, for sure, ang posting requirement. Kaya let me go through this one by one. I am referring to Republic Act No. 10633, General Appropriations Act for 2014.

For the Department of Health, Special Provision No. 2 on Hospital Income at ang sabi dito: “...special hospitals, medical centers, institute for disease prevention and control, including drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers and facilities, and other National Government hospitals under the DOH.”

So, malawak po ang saklaw nito. Ano ang requirement with regard to their use of income? Sabi rito: “Likewise, it shall submit to the DBM not later than March 1 of the current year its audited financial statement for the immediately preceding year.”

Nagawa po ba iyon? So, nagawa po ba ito ng Department of Health na i-submit ang audited financial statement for 2013 ng bawat hospital na nasa ilalim ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). The only available audited financial statement as far as the DOH is concerned is that of 2012; the 2013 is not yet released by the Commission on Audit, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Okay, ang sabi po r i to ay, “Likewise, it shall submit to the DBM, not later than March 1 of the current year”—may deadline pa nga, March 1 of the current year—“its audited financial statement for the immediately preceding year.” Hindi ako ang nagsabi ng March 1 deadline. Nasa batas iyan. Anyway, ang sagot po ay hindi daw na-submit.

How about the posting requirement? It says that:

The Secretary of Health and the Agency’s web administrator or his/her equivalent shall be responsible for ensuring that said quarterly reports are likewise posted on the official website of the DOH.

Are quarterly reports posted po ba sa website? Para sa bawat ospital po ito, iyon ang understanding natin. Nasa website po ba?



It was 9:06 p.m.





REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, the publication is usually done by the hospital c o n c e r n e d , b u t t h e D O H a d m i t s t h a t t h e publication is not usually on time, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Okay. Thank you for that response, Mr. Speaker.

So, basically, ang sagot ninyo po ay wala sa website ng DOH.

REP. NAVA (J.). Not in the website of the DOH but on the websites of respective hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Although it is clear that the law requires that it be posted on the official website of the Department of Health. Mr. Speaker, for the record, may we know, kasi ang sabi dito, “the Secretary of Health,” that would be Secretary Ona, “and the Agency’s web administrator or his/her equivalent shall be responsible…”

For the r ecord , s ino po ba iyong web administrator or equivalent of the Department of Health, just so we know who the accountable officers are.



It was 9:08 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). The web administrator is Director Crispinita A. Valdez, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, pakiulit lang po.

REP. NAVA (J.). Director Crispinita Valdez.

REP. TINIO. Crispinita Valdez, is she here? It is okay if she is not here, kung nandito lang po.

REP. NAVA (J.). She is not here, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Not here? Well, Mr. Speaker, before I end my interpellation later, I will ask for a few minutes suspension of the session so that I can confer with the responsible person, so they can show me, kung sasabihin nilang nasa website ay ipakita sa akin kung nasaan ito, just to confirm. Anyway, so as of now, ang sabi ninyo ang DOH ay hindi pa nasa-submit ang audited financial statement for the immediately preceding year, tapos, hindi pa rin napo-post sa DOH website.

REP. NAVA (J.). The audited statement is still with the Commission on Audit, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Opo. Okay. Now, I have to bring your attention to the next paragraph in that Special Provision No. 2. Ang sabi po kasi rito, and I quote:

Failure to submit said annual reports and the audited financial statements shall render any disbursement from said income void, and shall subject the erring officials and employees to disciplinary actions in accordance with Section 43, Chapter 5, and Section 80, Chapter 7, Book VI of E.O. No. 292, and to appropriate criminal action under existing penal laws.

So, medyo mabigat po ang consequences ng noncompliance ng DOH because, sabi nga that it will render void all disbursements from hospital income, tapos, liable pa tuloy ang mga opisyales to administrative and criminal sanctions, Mr. Speaker. Is the agency aware of this?

REP. NAVA (J.). The agency recognizes the said provision, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. What will the agency do about it, Mr. Speaker? As of now, hindi kayo nagsa-submit ng audited financial statement, well, you are in violation pero alam naman natin na hindi pa tapos ang 2014, hindi ba, and so, there is still time to comply.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Department of Health has a regular annual report, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, as far as the audited financial statement is concerned, the control is with the Commission on Audit. It usually does not come or is released on time. Like, for example, one document that we have here is the consolidated annual audit report and this is as of the yearend December 2012. This came out from the


Commission, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. I have also with me the annual report for 2013, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Well, Mr. Speaker, I think Congress has to consider this because this provision may be found in, not just in the DOH budget but in—last night, I pointed out that a similar provision may be found in the Department of National Defense and the major services budgets, and so on. So, ngayon, kung sasabihin ng mga ahensiya, katulad ng DOH, for one reason or another, ay hindi sila maka-comply, paano na iyan?

So, either the agencies comply or, perhaps, now will be the time to review this provision, Mr. Speaker, and I have raised this with the Committee on Appropriations pero ang punto, sa ngayon, ganito ang batas at dapat sumunod ang ahensiya. Ang gusto po nating marinig sa ahensiya is that they will do their best to comply. Iyan po iyon at ipinapaalala ko na nga sa kanila na failure to do so will open them to administrative and criminal charges, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. NAVA (J.). We agree to the sentiment, suggestion of the Gentleman from ACT TEACHER. I have, in fact, information that COA has scheduled an exit conference for the 2013 audit report on October 3, that is for the DOH, so this is how late things are, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. So, will we get a commitment from the DOH right now that they will strive to comply with the requirements for reporting and posting in the website, Mr. Speaker, as required by law?


REP. TINIO. Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker. We go to Special Provision No. 3, Fees and Charges of the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance. So, this is with respect to the income of the Bureau of Quarantine and International Health Surveillance. Again, there are reporting and posting requirements, and I quote:

The DOH shall submit, either in printed form or by way of electronic document, to the DBM, copy furnished the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance, quarterly reports on the financial and physical accomplishments of the income of BQIHS.

There is again a posting requirement where the Secretary of Health and the agency’s web administrator

shall post the quarterly report. Nag-comply po ba sa reporting at saka sa posting, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the reporting to the House, I think this is usually complied with but …

REP. TINIO. Website, I checked the DOH website and as far as I could tell, wala po ito.

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes.

REP. TINIO. Wala po, so noncompliance ito. Okay, sige. Special Provision No. 4, Fees, Fines—alam ninyo, I can say na sa budget ng DOH in particular, kayo yata iyong may pinaka-maraming posting and recording requirements. Wala tayong magagawa dahil ganoon po ang realidad. On the Fees, Fines, Royalties and other Charges of the Food and Drug Administration, so, again, ang sabi dito:

The FDA shall submit…to the DBM, the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance, separate quarterly reports on physical and financial accomplishments…

Then, the Director of FDA and agency web administrator or equivalent shall post the said reports on the official website of the FDA. Nakapag-comply po ba ang FDA?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as reporting is concerned, I suppose it is being complied with.

REP. TINIO. You suppose, Sir? Ano po ba, nag-comply po ba sila o hindi? Nandiyan ho naman ang Appropriations Committee, puwede nating matanong.

REP. NAVA (J.). The FDA still has to comply with the quarterly report, to update it; as far as their website, they are complying but it needs updating.

REP. TINIO. So, baligtad hindi nag-submit ng quarterly report pero naka- post sa website, ganoon po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Committee on Appropriations still has to receive the report, and their website needs an update.

REP. TINIO. Can we get a commitment that the report will be submitted and the website updated?


REP. TINIO. Bago po matapos ang plenaryo sana.



REP. TINIO. Thank you, opo. Special Provision No. 5. Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Okay. Here, there is also a posting requirement:

The Secretary of Health and the Agency’s web administrator or his /her equivalent shall be responsible for ensuring that the list and cost of DOH retained hospitals and other health care facilities constructed, upgraded, expanded, repaired and rehabilitated, and the list and cost of hospital equipment purchased, including its distribution are posted on the official website of the DOH.

Napakahalaga po nito kasi, ang pinag-uusapan natin dito ay a total of P13.5 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Basically, it is a lump sum and this is something I will go back to later. So, importante na malaman ng lahat kung saan napunta iyong P13.5 billion. Ang requirement nga ay ilista ang bawat pasilidad na makikinabang, magkano iyong halaga, ano iyong ginawa, status noong implementation, and so on. Na-post po ba ito sa website ng DOH? This is something that I, as a Congressman and as an ordinary citizen would like to have access to.

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the said Health Facilities Enhancement Program, it is already posted in the website but it needs to be updated and consolidated.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, na-check ko po iyong website ng DOH at mayroon ngang something there about the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, but when I downloaded it, regional breakdowns lang ito, and it is a one-page electronic file, tapos, regional breakdowns lang noong allocation. Are we talking about the same thing, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). They are currently still uploading the data, including the pictures of specific programs and projects, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. So, wala pa, hindi pa nagko-comply?

REP. NAVA (J.). So far, this is what they have.

REP. TINIO. Oo. What they have, based on what I can see…

REP. NAVA (J.). It is a breakdown of Health Facilities Enhancement Program by region.

REP. TINIO. Yes, by region, I saw that, one page. Obviously, hindi po iyon ang hinihingi ng batas. Ang sabi po rito ay, again: “…the list and cost of DOH retained hospitals and other health care facilities constructed, upgraded, expanded, repaired and rehabilitated, and the list and cost of hospital equipment purchased, including its distribution.”

So, detalye po ang hinihingi dito—kung ano iyong mga ipinagawa at ipina-ayos at kung ano iyong mga equipment na binili. Ganoon detalye po ang hinihinging accounting dito, at ang sabi ninyo ay wala pa ito at still in process ito. So, importante po ito ano, and f I may add—o, sige, hindi na bale, I was going to ask about 2013 kasi, you know, nakalipas na iyon.

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, there are 31 pages, I think, for the 2012 programs and projects.

REP. TINIO. So, iyong sa 2012 po, iyon ang itatanong ko, so, iyong sa 2012 ay naka-post na po?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, there are 31 pages under this heading.

REP. TINIO. Iyong sa 2014 kasi 2014 na po ang pinag-uusapan, wala pa po?

REP. NAVA (J.). Not yet, it is still in the process.

REP TINIO. Iyong sa 2013 po kasi 2012 iyong binanggit ninyo. Iyong sa 2013?

REP. NAVA (J.). On the other data, there is an ongoing uploading from 2010 to 2013, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. So, it is ongoing, okay, noted. Sa Special Provision No. 6, Realignment of Projects

under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, this Special Provision authorizes the Secretary to realign projects pero, again, mayroong reporting and posting requirements na naman:

The DOH shall inform the DBM in writing of every realignment within five calendar days from its approval. The Secretary of Health and the Agency’s web administrator or his/her equivalent shall be responsible for ensuring that such realignment is likewise posted on the official website of the DOH within the same period.

So, ganoon kabigat ang hinihiling sa Department. Gusto talaga malaman ng taong bayan ang nangyayari sa pondo. So, ito iyong original list pero may realignment


kaya kailangan, of course, malaman ng DBM pero kailangan malaman din ng publiko. Nagawa po ba, Mr. Speaker, ang list of realignments?



It was 9:26 p.m.




REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the DBM’s submission on those that were realigned, it is being complied with, Mr. Speaker. As to the web posting, I heard that it is one among those that are to be complied or updated and in fact, maybe, it is part of the uploading process that they are conducting right now as far as the HFEP Program is concerned.

REP. TINIO. Okay. Then, we go to Special Provision No. 8, Assistance to Indigent Patients. Ito po iyong dating PDAF. Mayroon pong three billion pesos na ipinagkatiwala sa DOH. Again, mayroong detailed posting requirement. In fact, here, the requirement is for the DBM and DOH:

The DBM and the DOH shall post the following on their respective official websites: (i) Name of recipient government hospitals and indigent patients receiving medical services therein, whether confined or outpatient; (ii) Type of medical assistance given and other related information; and (iii) Name and address of indigent patients, and medical services rendered to and/or drugs and medicines received by each of them with the corresponding fee and amount. The recipient government hospital shall likewise post the foregoing information on its official website. The Secretaries of Budget and Management and of Health and their respective Agencies’ web administrator or their equivalent shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the above posting requirements.

So, again, napakabigat po—required ang DBM, required ang DOH at required iyong hospital; tapos, detalyadong-detalyado—pangalan, address, magkano iyong tinanggap, ano iyong serbisyong ibinigay, may

gamot bang natanggap—napaka-specific po. Actually, tinanong ko na po ito—this particular one, I asked about this in the Committee on Appropriations hearing and at that time, hindi pa po napo-post pero nag-commit po ang DOH na they would post what they have and when I checked, indeed, mayroon na ngayong posting pero, obviously partial lang po ito. Can you confirm that that is the status on the implementation of this particular provision, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). True, Mr. Speaker, only those for Regions I, II and III are presently posted and the rest is still being encoded by the respective hospitals, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker. Well, at least, may partial compliance na pero, of course, ang hinihingi ng batas ay maging kumpleto ito. Obviously, ang intention po dito—kasi nga dating PDAF ito, so, ang intention po dito, in the wake of the pork barrel scam and the general distrust of the public with regard to monies of such sort, ay gusto talagang makita na napupunta sa mga totoong tao at hindi sa mga ghost patients. Iyon po ang intention nito kaya kailangan respetuhin po.

Let me just also mention na, alam ninyo po, sa DSWD ay mayroong similar requirement. Mayroon ding ano, and in fact, mas malaki iyong pondong inilagay sa kanila, something like four billion pesos for assistance to individuals in crisis situations. In fairness to the DSWD, noong na-check ko po iyong website nila ay nakalista po talaga lahat doon ang bawat indibidwal na pangalan, mayroong address, may amount at may purpose. So, may point being, it is not impossible for agencies to comply with posting requirements such as this. Let me just put that on the record, Mr. Speaker.

On Special Provision No. 9, Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan Program, this has to do with the peace process and so, this is a program administered, as far as I know, by the OPAPP but with the assistance of many agencies, including the DOH. Ang sabi naman dito, again, with regard to the PAMANA Fund, ito ay maliit lang, P15,600,000 pero, again, the DOH is required to submit to OPAPP quarterly reports on the status of implementation of the PAMANA Program, and then the Secretary of Health and the agency web administrator is responsible for posting these reports on the website. Ano po ang status of compliance, Mr. Speaker sa PAMANA Program?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is none, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. None, no compliance? Okay, it is noted.On Special Provision No. 11, Sajahatra Bangsamoro

Program, the amount is P26,400,000. The DOH is


required to submit to the Task Force on Bangsamoro Development quarterly reports on the status of implementation of the said program. Again, the Secretary of Health and the agency’s web administrator is responsible for posting on the DOH website the status of compliance.

REP. NAVA (J.). As of now, there is nothing.

REP. TINIO. None again? Okay.On Special Provision No. 12, Purchase and

Allocation of Drugs, Medicines and Vaccines, again, the DOH shall submit to the DBM, copy furnished the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance, quarterly reports on the allocation of drugs, medicines and vaccines by province and the actual distribution to recipient DOH retained hospitals and other health care facilities. Again, the Secretary of Health and the agency’s web administrator or equivalent have to post said reports on the website. Napakahalaga din po ito kasi marami na pong mga kaso na may purchase of medicines pero iyon pala ay, you know, fraudulent at pinagkakitaan lang. Kaya may ganiyang provision po.

REP. NAVA (J.). Did you see the website, Mr. Speaker?

REP. TINIO. Nasa website po. Is it compliant with the requirement? Ang sabi po dito ay allocations of drugs by province and actual distribution to recipient DOH hospitals. Baka mamaya ay general na naman ito, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a list but unfortunately, we cannot open it, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. You cannot open it? I just hope, Mr. Speaker, that the answers will be truthful and accurate kasi hindi po maganda iyong naging karanasan ko kahapon with the Department of Agriculture. When I was asking about a similar provision, sabi nila, “this was with respect to, ano nga ba iyon?” I forget pero sabi nila na-post nila ito but when I tried to confirm, hindi pa pala. So, hindi po maganda na hindi accurate ang information. So, hindi ninyo po ba ma-access ngayon?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a listing but unfortunately, we cannot open it.

REP. TINIO. Okay, sige po.

REP. NAVA (J.). We cannot open the document per region but there is a listing per region there, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Sige po, okay. On Special Provision No. 16, Pinoy MD Scholarship

Program, again, the DOH shall submit to the DBM, copy furnished the House and the Senate, quarterly reports on physical and financial accomplishments of the program; and the Secretary and the web administrator is required to post this to the DOH website. I checked sa website po pero wala ito. So, iyong quarterly reports po ba ay masa-submit?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is none, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. None? Okay.On Special Provision No. 21, Quick Response

Fund, the DOH has been entrusted with P500 million as a Quick Response Fund for relief and rehabilitation services. Importanteng-importante po ito. Again, reporting requirement—the DOH shall submit to NDRRMC, copy furnished the DBM, House and Senate, quarterly reports on the status of utilization of the QRF and, again, posting. Kumusta po ito?

REP. NAVA (J.). They just released the disbursement, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. Actually, the is issue was raised earlier. There is about P22 million and P24 million, and that is a total of P46 million that was already released lately for the purchase of thermal…

REP. TINIO. Blankets?

REP. NAVA (J.). …scanners…

REP. TINIO. Scanners, okay.

REP. NAVA (J.). … intended to monitor passengers coming in via the airport, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, as well as the necessary materials and reagents needed to conduct the necessary tests through the RITM or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. That is very interesting information, Mr. Speaker, and I will come back to your response na pinambili po ng thermal scanners for the airports at saka …

REP. NAVA (J.). For the airports, for the monitoring of passengers coming in.

REP. TINIO. For the airports. Iyong sa RITM, ano po iyon?

REP. NAVA (J.). Reagents and needed material...

REP. TINIO. Ano po, materials?


REP. NAVA (J.). … for tests …

REP. TINIO. Okay, for testing.

REP. NAVA (J.). … that are necessary in the conduct of the same, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Okay. I will go back to that pero with respect to reporting, wala pa po?

REP. NAVA (J.). They still need to upload it. They just disbursed the fund lately, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Okay. Mr. Speaker, I went through all the Special Provisions with all of the reporting and posting requirements. I hope our colleagues will bear with me but unfortunately, maraming mga ahensiya just take these provisions for granted. They have a cavalier attitude to these legal requirements. Marami po sa ating lipunan ang ipinaglalaban ay iyong freedom of information and so, this is the right of citizens, upon demand, to be given information by the government on issues vital to their lives as citizens. Iyon ay ipinaglalaban pa natin pero sa ngayon, may mga batas na which mandatorily require government agencies to disclose and to provide the public with information. So batas na ito at required na ibigay sa publiko ngunit malinaw na nakita natin na hindi ito tinutupad.

So, ang hiling ko po sa DOH at actually, sa lahat ng iba pang mga ahensiya na bago po matapos ang taon, hindi pa naman tapos ang taon—may commitment ba tayo, Mr. Speaker, na lahat ng impormasyon na nabanggit natin, at sana napakita natin sa ating pagtatanong kanina, na hindi maliitan, na hindi trivial ang mga impormasyong ito. Susi po ito para makatulong ang mamamayan sa pagbabantay sa paggamit ng pondo ng taong-bayan.

So, can we get a commitment from the agency that they will comply with all these …

REP. NAVA (J.). They will comply and in fact, they …

REP. TINIO. … in the posting of requirements.

REP. NAVA (J.). … appreciate the issues that were raised, that it needs compliance from their end, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I will propose, at the proper time, in order, perhaps, for heads of agencies and responsible officials to take this more seriously, that we should include some sort of sanctions whether, you know, administrative if not criminal sanctions, and penalties for non-compliance,

Mr. Speaker. I think the public deserves to be provided this information, Mr. Speaker.

So, let me now proceed to my next topic which is the lump-sum funds. So, let me now use as reference the 2015 General Appropriations Bill and I also will go through some of the lump sums identified in the Special Provisions of the 2015 General Appropriations Bill of the Department of Health.

The first would be the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. So for 2015, an amount of P13,098,073,000 is proposed to be appropriated for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program and according to the provision:

…shall be used to implement the following in compliance with the Philippines’ commitment to help by year 2015 under the Millennium Development Goal: (i) the construction, upgrading, expansion, repair and rehabilitation of DOH retained hospitals, and other health care facilities, such as Rural Health Units, district or provincial hospitals, and barangay health stations; and (ii) the purchase of hospital equipment.

The provision then indicates the allocations in a table. Now, Mr. Speaker, my concern here is that this is a lump-sum amount. I went through the details of the NEP and the General Appropriations Bill to see if there was more information, the specific information that legislators and citizens need to fully understand how this large amount of money will be used. Magkano po ba ang mapupunta sa saang hospital, saang rural health center, saang clinic? Anong equipment ang bibilhin? Wala po nakalagay and so, mukhang ang nakakaalam lang po yata nito ay ang Department of Health, Mr. Speaker. Tama po ba, lump sum po ito, wala po itong itemized breakdown, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is an itemized breakdown with the Department, Your Honor, on what facilities will be improved, according to region and the local government that would benefit from it. I think, as I earlier committed to one of the interpellators, we are ready to provide the necessary details of the said budget, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Okay. So, what the Sponsor is saying, Mr. Speaker, is that the DOH actually has a detailed and itemized breakdown of how this P13 billion will be used for next year.


REP. TINIO. Mayroon po kayo pero wala po siya dito sa General Appropriations Bill, tama po ba?



REP. TINIO. Okay. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of greater transparency and out of respect for the public’s abhorrence for lump-sum funds, given that these are now seen as pork barrel funds, discretionary funds, at the proper time, and I would like to get the opinion of the Sponsor on this, I will move that that list of the DOH be included as an annex to the General Appropriations Bill, Mr. Speaker, in the same way that the detailed listing of projects under the, for example, Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Projects of the DILG is included as an annex in the General Appropriations Bill. Bakit hindi po puwedeng gawin iyon para dito? Para lahat po ng Kongresista na narito ngayon ay malalaman talaga kung magkano po ba, mula sa P13 billion na ito, ang mapupunta sa bawat bayan, bawat distrito, bawat probinsya, et cetera. Iyan naman po ang papel ng mga Kinatawan, ang alamin mula sa inyo at para malaman din ng taong-bayan kung ano iyong inaprobahan namin. Ang problema ngayon ay hindi natin alam kung ano iyong inaprobahan natin.

REP. NAVA (J.). This Representation does not have any opposition as far as the proposed amendment, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER (Rep. Padilla). Please allow the Gentleman to finish his interpellation.

REP. NAVA (J.). This Representation is amenable to that proposal, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Thank you for that. Then, let me go to the Assistance to Indigent Patients, Mr. Speaker. Can I have the slide presentation. Okay. I noted that, in the Special Provision, it says here that the amount of P1,762,349,000 “appropriated herein under Assistance to Indigent Patients shall be utilized for hospitalization and the grant of assistance to indigent and poor patients.” So, there is an amount of P1.76 billion, but I note that, if you look at the details of the budget, an amount of P611.8 million out of this P1.7 billion is lodged in the Central Office of the Department of Health. During the Committee on Appropriations briefing of the Department of Health, I was made to understand that of the P1.7 billion, there is P600 million that is lodged with the Central Office, so lump sum iyan sa Central Office, and the balance of some P1.1 billion plus is allocated to the different hospitals under the Department of Health. Am I correct, Mr. Speaker? Tama po ba iyon?


REP. TINIO. Yes. Okay. So, unang tanong: bakit may P611 million na nasa Central Office? Bakit hindi

na lang i-distribute ito? Bakit hinawakan pa ng Central Office, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). There will be breakdowns on this, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, and these funds will eventually be downloaded to all the regions, whereas the other funds out of the P611 million were directly downloaded or allocated to the different hospitals, Your Honor, while the P611 million will be directly downloaded to the regional offices or the center for health development offices of the Department, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. So, bakit ganoon po? Bakit iyong P1 billion plus, ngayon pa lang at the appropriations stage, ay nakalagay na sa mga ospital iyong pondo pero itong P611 million ay upon budget execution pa po ida-download? Ano ang rationale po niyan?

REP. NAVA (J.). Those that will be downloaded through the regional offices are funds that necessitate a memorandum of agreement with respective hospitals. So, these are not DOH-run hospitals, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Okay, again, Mr. Speaker, these are for?

REP. NAVA (J.). Non-DOH hospitals.

REP. TINIO. Okay. Such as, private po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). Maybe, LGU hospitals, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. These are intended for LGU hospitals. I see, okay. Ang proposal ko po ay bakit hindi na natin i-download ngayon iyan kasi, again, sasabihin lump sum na naman ito, tapos palakasan na naman ito. Kung sinong LGU ang malakas ay sila ang makakakuha ng malaki dito. Iyong mga kaaway ng administrasyon ay baka hindi makakuha. Hindi ba ganyan iyan? So, para maiwasan iyon, bakit hindi na lang natin idetalye ngayon kung magkano at saan ito mapupunta.

REP. NAVA (J.). Based on the guideline that was provided for the MAP Program, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, those that are not run by the DOH require or necessitate a memorandum of agreement with the said hospital.

REP. TINIO. Yes, I understand.

REP. NAVA (J.). So, for that purpose or for that matter, all funds will be coursed through the regional offices, and the regional offices will eventually effect


the transfer after a memorandum of agreement with the said hospital is secured, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, I will propose at the proper time that the P611 billion already be broken down per region and then, we leave it to the region para, at least, alam kahit noong mga Kinatawan na nandito na iyong region nila at mayroon na ito, hindi po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, what we have right now here are what is earmarked for each region, and I will be getting the list of hospitals that would benefit from these funds, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Again, Mr. Speaker, I will propose that that be included in an appendix para may detalye. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). We can do that, Mr. Speaker

REP. TINIO. Okay, on the Purchase and Allocation of Drugs, Medicines and Vaccines, again, this is another lump sum of P7.88 billion with the DOH. So, again, ang probisyon dito, the allocation, the so-called distribution list will be determined at the budget execution. So, bakit po ganoon, bakit hindi puwedeng ngayon pa lang pag-usapan na natin kung paano hahati-hatiin ang P7 billion na ito para sa purchase of drugs? Bakit iiwan pa sa, again, ang hinihingi ng Kongreso dito, kayo na ang bahala na mag-determine kung magkano at saan ilalagay ang pondo para sa pagbili ng drugs, medicine, and so on, Mr. Speaker? What is the rationale for leaving this as a lump sum at the discretion, well, in effect, of the DOH Secretary, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Actually, these are for several programs and the intention here is to come up with bulk procurement and the drugs that will be procured will be downloaded to respective LGUs, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Again, so isang concern kasi sa LGU dadalhin, sa LGU, hindi sa mga…

REP. NAVA (J.). The drugs, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Iyong mga drugs.

REP. NAVA (J.). The medicines, the packs, not the money, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Okay. So, it has to be …

REP. NAVA (J.). Procured by bulk.

REP. TINIO. So, the DOH will procure?

REP. NAVA (J.). They will procure it by bulk and then distribute the medicines to the respective LGUs.

REP. TINIO. Okay. So, why can it not be broken down per region, halimbawa, per province, you know, bakit hindi puwedeng ganoon?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think a bulk procurement will be an advantage, for that matter.

REP. TINIO. Gusto ninyo centralized procurement, ganoon po?

REP. NAVA (J.). That is what …

REP. TINIO. So, centralized po, ang Central Office po ang magpo-procure, ganoon po ba?


REP. TINIO. That is the practice. Okay. Again, my proposal is for transparency on how this will be allocated per province, per region, per city, per municipality. Para malinaw po sa lahat, magkano po ang matatanggap ng bawat siyudad? Kailangang- kailangan po ito ng lahat. Alam naman natin iyong tulong sa mura o libreng gamot pero ang problema ay kayo lang ang nakakaalam niyan. Kahit kaming mga Kinatawan dito sa Kongreso, hindi namin masasagot kung magkano ang mapupunta sa bawat lokalidad.

REP. NAVA (J.). If the Special Provision will be fully complied with, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker, I think we can see all the drugs that are being procured and where will these drugs go, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, iyan nga ang problema kasi sa execution na ito, iniiwan na ito sa budget execution, hindi ba? Iyan na nga, this leaves the process open again to post-enactment intervention by legislators. Kumbaga, hindi na maiiwasan iyan kasi iyong mga legislators, siyempre gusto nila ang distrito nila ay mayroong share. So, this is an invitation again to post-enactment intervention which, as you know, has been prohibited by the Supreme Court. So, mabuti pa, dahil mayroon na tayong Supreme Court decision, ngayon pa lang ay ilinaw na kung magkano sa P7 billion na ito ang mapupunta sa bawat lokalidad, katulad nga ng sinabi ko, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, the drugs to be purchased are predetermined and it is considered by the DOH that to procure it by bulk is a more efficient process, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. I understand the advantages of


procuring by bulk, centralized procurement and so on. Hindi naman po ito bangga doon sa suggestion. At the proper time, Mr. Speaker, I will propose that, again, as an attachment or annex to the General Appropriations Bill, i-submit na po ng DOH, more or less, iyong breakdown per province perhaps, kung paano i-a-allocate ang P7 billion na ito for the purchase of drugs, medicines and vaccines. Puwede po ba iyon, Mr. Speaker? I mean, the procurement can still be done at the Central Office. Hindi ko naman sinasabing ida-download, i-aano na iyan ngayon e.

REP. NAVA (J.). They will do it by region, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Sige po. Okay. Para malinaw din, and I think my colleagues will also appreciate na malaman nila kung magkano ba sa P7 billion iyong mapupunta sa bawat rehiyon para ma-assure natin si Cong. Rufus B. Rodriguez na hindi naman nadedehado ang Mindanao sa alokasyon na ito. Hindi ba, Congressman Rufus? Anyway, so, ganoon po.

Okay, last lump sum, iyong Quick Response Fund and this is P500 million. Is my understanding right that as of now, and we are now in the fourth quarter of 2014, ang nagagastos ninyo lang po is something like P40 million. Tama po ba iyon?

REP. NAVA (J.). There is a process right now for the release or disbursement that is intended for typhoon Glenda.

REP. TINIO. For typhoon Glenda? Kailan nga po iyon, please refresh my memory, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, kailan po nangyari iyong typhoon Glenda? Marami na pong bagyo kaya medyo nahalu-halo na.

REP. NAVA (J.). July this year, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. July po.

REP. NAVA (J.). It is approximately P200 million that is being processed right now.

REP. TINIO. Iyong bagyo nangyari noong July, tapos, August, September, under process pa iyong release ng P200 million? Would say that they did a quick response, Mr. Speaker? Iyong mga nangangailangan po ay kagyat po bang natulungan?

REP. NAVA (J.). I think it is still within the period that we can consider that a quick response for the Department, Your Honor, to intervene.

REP. TINIO. Kaya lang ang nangyari, iyong

bagyong Glenda ay may mga nabikitima sa July. Iyong pondo para sa kanila ay pino-process pa. Sa palagay ninyo, kailan po ba mare-release ang P200 million na iyan?

REP. NAVA (J.). They are considering next month, and it is more on the infrastructure repair of health station and rural health units.

REP. TINIO. Sa October, baka October pa.

REP. NAVA (J.). So, an evaluation is being conducted. In about a week or within October, releases will be effected.

REP. TINIO. Releases by October, okay. Unfortunately, in between Glenda and the release, ay umabot na tayo kay Mario, nasa letter “M” na tayo. Ang daming nang ibang bagyo na lumipas. My point being, Mr. Speaker, the supposed Quick Response Fund is not quick enough to respond to the immediate needs of our fellow Filipinos, Mr. Speaker. Alam ninyo po, kagabi, sa interpellation natin sa DND, particular iyong Office of Civil Defense, mayroon din silang, I think it was also P500 million na Quick Response Fund. Nadismaya po ako na marinig na sa P500 million na iyon, wala pa po raw ni isang sentimo na na-obligate ang Office of Civil Defense sa kanilang Quick Response Fund, Mr. Speaker. So, anong klase? Bakit pa tayo naglalagay ng Quick Response Fund kung hindi naman pala kagyat na matutulungan iyong mga biktima ng bagyo, baha o pagputok ng bulkan na dinaranas ng ating mga kababayan, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, this is for the repairs of damaged infrastructure, of health facilities in particular, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker. This is not the usual Quick Response Fund that we can see, like for example, iyong DSWD that you will outright do, immediately right after disaster, you need to provide food packs or the same or the like.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, in view on the reports on utilization of various agencies of their so-called Quick Response Fund, this Representation, at the proper time, will move for either the drastic reduction in these funds or a total abolition kasi mukhang hindi naman po nagpapabilis e. So, baka puwedeng makahanap tayo ng ibang mekanismo para mas mabilis na matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga kababayan nating nasasalanta ng kalamidad.

Alam po ninyo, iyong ang mga victims ng Yolanda, hanggang ngayon, mayroon po malapit o same region po of the Sponsor, province of Capiz— last year, noong tumama ang Yolanda, bilang tulong ay nagbigay po kami ng mga temporary roofing materials para sa mga


eskuwelahan nila roon. Ang ulat nila just a few weeks ago, hanggang ngayon ay ganoon pa rin, hindi pa rin nare-release ng DepEd ang pondo para mapaayos ang kanilang mga eskuwelahan. This is more than a year or almost a year after Yolanda, Mr. Speaker. So, obviously, may problema po yata sa quick response kaya, as I said, at the proper time, Mr. Speaker, I will propose some sort of amendment to this Quick Response Fund, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). We will always consider a better alternative if proposed Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Kanina, medyo nasabi po ninyo na sa Quick Response Fund ng DOH, mayroong P20 million, am I correct, na ginamit pambili ng thermal scanners to be installed at the airport? Presumably, para ito maka-monitor sa mga taong may sakit na pumasok, tama po ba?


REP. TINIO. Tapos, another amount, also around P20 million is used for purchase of equipment for the RITM, tama po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). Yes, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker,

REP. TINIO. This is for, ano iyong purpose po, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Materials-related in the conduct of special studies for the purpose of monitoring these diseases that may come in the country.

REP. TINIO. Specifically, what diseases, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). Ebola, MERS-Cov coronavirus and the like, Your Honor.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to know, let me read the Special Provision on the Quick Response Fund. It says here:

The amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (P500,000,000) appropriated herein for the Quick Response Fund (QRF) shall serve as a stand-by fund to be used for the repair and rehabilitation of health facilities, replacement of medical equipment, as well as provision for emergency medical assistance, including pre-positioning of medical aids, in order that the situation and living conditions of people living in communities or areas stricken by calamities, epidemics, crises and catastrophes, which

occurred in the last quarter of the immediately preceding year and those occurring during the current year may be normalized as quickly as possible. In no case shall the QRF be used for pre-disaster activities or any other purpose not authorized in this provision.

Mr. Speaker, iyong pagbili po ng thermal scanner, saan po pumapasok iyan dito sa probisyong ito? Thermal scanner para sa airport?

REP. NAVA (J.). In the inclusion of “pre-positioning of medical aids,” Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Prepositioning of medical aids, paano po iyon, Mr. Speaker? Ang malinaw po rito, ang purpose po of all those activities allowed in the provision, sabi dito:

…in order that the situation and living conditions of people living in communities or areas stricken by calamities, epidemics, crises, and catastrophes, which occurred in the last quarter … and those…in the current year, may be normalized as quickly as possible.

So, ang sinasabi ninyo, kailangang may tumamang kalamidad pero sa kasong binabanggit ninyo, iyong thermal scanner, kahit nga iyong equipment for testing for Ebola, et cetera, wala pa naman pong aktuwal na krisis.

REP. NAVA (J.). Precisely, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, it is recognized internationally that there is an emerging threat from this kind of diseases, and we know for a fact that there are passengers coming from those places, Mr. Speaker, and thus, we have to respond to that.

REP. TINIO. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I understand that but it also says explicitly here, “In no case shall the QRF be used for pre-disaster activities or any other purpose not authorized in this provision.” Hindi po ba iyong pagbili ninyo ng scanner ay pre-disaster po iyan, preventative?

REP. NAVA (J.) . I t is more on the pre-positioning.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, ako po ay may question—mukhang iyong pagbili po ng equipment ay tila hindi po yata iyan saklaw sa probisyong ito. In fact, mukhang tahasang nilalabag po ang probisyong ito kasi malinaw na ang intention ng Quick Response Fund ay kapag may tumamang kalamidad o may aktuwal na kalamidad na nangyari, pang tulong ito sa mga biktimang naapektuhan.


Totoo, hindi ko po kinukuwestiyon iyong kahalagahan ng paglalagay noong mga scanners sa airport o iyong pagbili ng equipment for RITM dahil importante po iyan pero ang punto ko lang ay hindi dapat kinuha dito ang mga iyan, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). We inquired further on the other reasons this was utilized, Mr. Speaker, but for sure, there are existing scanners, as we know, that may perhaps—the purchase of this is either to further augment the existing ones or perhaps replace them, which we will try to confirm, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Mr. Speaker, I think I have made my point here clear. I think there was a violation in the purchase of those scanners, a violation of this provision, Mr. Speaker, so, I have made that on record.

Now, to my last point, last topic, Mr. Speaker, and this again has to do with the Assistance to Indigent Patients. Again, we go back to the 2014 GAA, so I am going back now to Special Provision No. 8 of the Department of Health. As we know, Mr. Speaker, that in the 2014 GAA, an amount of P3,193,950,000 was appropriated for the Department of Health as Assistance to Indigent Patients and this fund specifically came from the fund formerly known as PDAF, Priority Development Assistance Fund, in 2014. As we know, in response to the public clamor against PDAF, the pork barrel system in general, and even before the Supreme Court came out with its decision in November, the House moved to abolish the PDAF as an item in the 2014 GAA and the funds that were supposed to be appropriated for the PDAF were realigned to six agencies: the DPWH, DSWD, CHED, TESDA, DOLE and DOH. So, this P3.1 billion is part of that fund, Mr. Speaker.

Now, in November, as we know, the Supreme Court came out with its landmark decision on the pork barrel system, Belgica vs. Ochoa. Again, just to remind everyone, in its ruling abolishing the pork barrel system, the congressional pork barrel system in particular or what we know as the PDAF, the Court argued and ruled as follows:

The court hereby declares the 2013 PDAF Article as well as all other provisions of law which similarly allow legislators to wield any form of post-enactment authority in the implementation or enforcement of the budget unrelated to congressional oversight as violative of the separation of powers principle and, thus, unconstitutional. Corollary thereto, informal practices through which legislators have effectively intruded into the proper phases of budget execution must be deemed as acts of grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and, hence, accorded the same unconstitutional treatment.

So, in the Supreme Court ruling, Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the proper role of Congress is to authorize or approve the budget. From that point on, it is now the role of the Executive to execute the budget, to spend it, and any attempt or effort on the part of legislators to influence the manner in which the Executive executes the budget is seen as unconstitutional post-enactment intervention, Mr. Speaker.

Next slide, please. Mr. Speaker, allow me to take some time because in the following slides and in the following statements that I will make, these will mainly be for purposes of putting things on record.

On May 20, 2014, Department of Health Undersecretary Jeanette Garin called for a meeting with the Members of the House of Representatives and their staff to discuss the Department of Health Medical Assistance Program which relates to the P3.1 billion that we have mentioned, Mr. Speaker. This meeting was held at the Andaya Hall in the Batasang Pambansa Complex. In that briefing, Undersecretary Garin stated that at that point, she was designated as the official-in-charge of the Medical Assistance Program of the Department of Health, Mr. Speaker.

Next slide, please. According to Undersecretary Garin at that meeting, and I quote, “So, we actually have a new set of guidelines, so we will be giving it in a while.” Indeed, during that meeting, she gave out a new set of guidelines on the implementation of the Medical Assistance Program.

Next slide, please. Further in that meeting, Undersecretary Garin said, with respect to the identification of the beneficiaries of the Medical Assistance Program, and I quote, “Okay, so, the qualifications will be a recommendation from the MAP officials.” The MAP is Medical Assistance Program. Who are the MAP officials? “Kayo iyan, these are the Congressmen or your designated personnel,” quote po iyan.

Next slide. Further during that meeting, Undersecretary Garin detailed the procedures that would be followed. So, una, sinabi po niya, na Congressman ang mag-i-identify ng beneficiaries para sa P3 billion MAP Fund. Okay. Then further on in that meeting, she explained in detail the processes and procedures that would be followed in order for the utilization of the said fund. Let me quote:

So, iyan po iyong tatlong sistema. Just to make a recap, there will be three mechanisms. The first will be, your funds will be directly downloaded to the specialty hospitals and all DOH-retained hospitals. When that happens, you can communicate directly to them, but just in case, pagpunta noong pasyente ninyo, pagtawag ninyo at hindi kayo agad-agad na-entertain, we will be giving you a directory of


the personnel in charge 24/7. Just give them the name of the patient, the amount and then a guarantee letter will be immediately forwarded to your office. The hospital will also be given a copy and the personnel in charge in the cashier’s office will also be texted iyong number, the amount and the name of the patient para po aga-agad na ma-entertain. That mechanism also follows for the LGU hospitals.

So, malinaw po, detalyadong-detalyado iyong proseso na susundin daw ng Kongresista na may identified beneficiary kung paano maa-access iyong pondong ito.

Next slide. She continues, and I quote:

In fact, we have a directory that will be given to you and that will be emailed to all your offices. In that directory, there are two persons in charge of all hospitals. So makikita ninyo doon sa directory, nandidito iyong mga pangalan ng mga hospitals and then kung sino iyong contact person na tatawagan ninyo. So, for any problem, you immediately call, text or email the person in charge of that hospital and automatically, they will issue a guarantee letter direct to your office and direct to the hospital.

Next slide. Iyan po iyong listahan or directory na ipinamigay ni Usec Garin there and then at the meeting itself and indeed, it is a listing of certain DOH personnel per hospital with their contact numbers. So, ito po iyong tatawagan daw ng mga Kongresista. Okay. Iyan pa po, another slide. Then further, next slide. Usec Garin also made some comments regarding the guarantee letter that would be issued by the Department of Health, at ang sabi po niya:

We also understand na iyong guarantee letter na unang ni-release, medyo iyong format, I mean, it’s not good, it’s okay. Unfortunately, the format creates a lot of questions kasi nga parang it is an indigency program of the DOH. Nawawala ngayon ng, let us admit it, the political points in the case of the office requesting it kasi ang nakapirma doon ay si Asec Lagahid. It was also placed there na hindi puwedeng i-honor kapag Saturday and Sunday. Nandoon din iyong nakalagay na ‘It is charged against the Office of the Secretary.’ So, all of these were deleted. We will be giving you the new format of the guarantee letter.

So, basically, ang sinasabi po niya ay nawawalan ng pogi points iyong mga Congressman dahil doon sa old format ng guarantee letter, lumalabas na mula sa DOH ang pinanggagalingan ng pondo.

At this juncture, Deputy Speaker Padilla relinquished the Chair to Presiding Officer Bondoc

Next slide. Ito naman ang ini-explain ni Usec Garin na iyong dating guidelines daw ay masyadong maraming requirements na hinihingi sa pasyente, so, the DOH decided that for the MAP, they will do away with guidelines. Ang sabi niya rito:

Now, the other requirements, that iyong table sa previous guidelines ninyo, that was actually paid for in the old requirements. What you have now is the new one. Tinanggal na namin lahat iyon. We admit it is also very tedious, especially if the patient has to go to the social worker and come up with all these documentary requirements. Now, on the determination of the eligibility of the patients for assistance from the MAP, we have also deleted that because the eligibility of the patient is actually your decision.

So, ang ipinapaliwanag po ni Usec Garin ay hindi na kailangang pumunta sa social worker para i-evaluate para malaman kung qualified sila, ibig sabihin, kung indigent po ba, kung mahirap po ba talaga sila at kung kailangan nila talaga ng medical assistance. Ang sinasabi niya rito, “Wala na iyan, binasura na namin iyan, Congressman na lang magsasabi kung eligible ka o hindi.” Ngayon, on a side note, Mr. Speaker, I think this opens up the program to abuse kasi, aba, wala na palang katibayan na kailangang mahirap sila, Mr. Speaker.

Okay. Next slide, and I think this is the last slide. Finally, marami pong sinabi pero this is the last quote that I am reading for the record. Sinabi po ni Usec Garin:

So, the decision of the department is to do away with all walk-in patients because in the first place, it was made clear to us that this fund is not DOH funds, but are actually funds of Congressmen who are there to assist their constituents.

So, iyon po ang quote from Usec Garin. Dito po talaga, medyo nabahala tayo dahil tila ang sinasabi rito, pagka may ordinaryong mamamayan na nag-walk in sa ospital at nangangailangan ng financial assistance, hindi na raw puwede, “we will do away with that, kailangan na raw pumunta siya sa opisina ng Congressman at humingi muna doon ng guarantee letter.” So, dito po talagang tahasang patronage politics na po ang pinaiiral ng DOH, Mr. Speaker.

Mayroon pang ibang slide?Okay. First of all, Mr. Speaker, hindi po ba tama,

malinaw na malinaw sa mga quoted statements ni


Undersecretary Garin ng DOH, malinaw na malinaw po na tahasang nilalabag po ng mga guidelines, both the actual written guidelines as well as the informal guidelines articulated and communicated by Usec Garin in that face-to-face meeting with Congressmen and Congresswomen and their staff? Hindi po ba napakalinaw na tahasang paglabag ito sa Supreme Court prohibition on post-enactment intervention of legislators in the use of funds, specifically in this case, the P3 billion Medical Assistance Program Fund, kasi malinaw na malinaw pong sinabi niya, “pondo iyan ng Congressman, hindi namin pondo iyan. Kayo ang magsasabi kung paano gagastusin iyan, hindi kami.”

Mr. Speaker, hindi po ba illegal at unconstitutional ang ipinatutupad ng DOH?

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, I cannot speak for and in behalf of Usec Garin. What I can say, as far as the Medical Assistance Program fund is concerned, there is an administrative order issued in July 15, 2014 on the guidelines on the execution and implementation of the MAP or the Medical Assistance Program and in no way that such alleged statements were part of the said guidelines, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. So, Mr. Speaker, the Sponsor is referring to and invoking the written guidelines. Mr. Speaker, indeed, kung babasahin ang written guidelines, walang pagbanggit doon na iyong pondo, ang three billion pesos fund na iyan, ang Congressman at Congresswoman ang magtatakda kung sino ang mga benepisyaryo at magkano ang ilalaan. Definitely, wala ito sa written pero sa face-to-face briefing ng Usec na in-charge of the program, iyon na nga po, malinaw iyong sinabi.

The Supreme Court, in its decision, was aware of this distinction, Mr. Speaker, kaya nga binanggit nito na hindi lang ang mga normal practices which recognize and give entitlements to legislators as far as discretion over lump sums are concerned. Sinabi rin nito na kasama sa prohibition ang informal practices. I will say, ito ang example noon, sa nakasulat ay wala pero sa usap-usapan, malinaw na pinahihintulutan ng DOH ang post-enactment intervention na ipinagbabawal ng batas natin ngayon, Mr. Speaker.

Ngayon, ang sinasabi po ba, sa sagot ng Sponsor, ay nilalaglag nila si Usec Garin dahil parang dini-disown nila ang mga statements e. Ganoon po ba? In other words, is the DOH saying that all those statements of Usec Garin which are documented—may audio, may transcript, documented po iyan— ang sinasabi ninyo po ba that those do not reflect the official position of the DOH, Mr. Speaker? So, nilalaglag ninyo na ang Usec ninyo, ganoon po ba?

REP. NAVA (J.). The DOH cannot say it is an official statement from the DOH. I think the testament

on how things are being implemented right now is the guidelines that were set and issued on July 15, 2014, Mr. Speaker. If you will only base on those guidelines, you will see how things are being implemented as far as the MAP is concerned.

REP. TINIO. So …

REP. NAVA (J.). We can provide you a copy of the guidelines.

REP. TINIO. I have a copy of the guidelines, Mr. Speaker, but as I said, mayroong guidelines pero mayroon ding iyong verbal instructions coming from the Undersecretary of the DOH in-charge of the program. Hindi lang po salita ito kasi binigyan pa nga, as I showed, ng mga contact persons, tapos, may instructions, and so on and so forth. So, Mr. Speaker, I will no longer pursue further this point, and I can understand if the Sponsor is not willing to make any further statements that may, in one way or the other, put the Department in a bad light. Naintindihan natin iyan, okay.

Let me now just proceed to my concrete proposals with regard to this because—let me note that in the 2015 proposed budget, nandoon pa rin po ang Assistance to Indigent Patients, although the amount is now lower as it is now P1.762 billion as opposed to this year’s P3 billion. At the proper time, I will propose an amendment to introduce a special provision for Assistance to Indigent Patients that will require all officials to act in accordance with the Supreme Court decision on PDAF, Belgica vs. Ochoa, including a penal provision against any form of post-enactment intervention by legislators. Is the Sponsor amenable to the introduction of such a provision? Ibig sabihin, nililinaw na po natin na bawal ang legislator ang magde-determine ng beneficiaries, iyong amount, et cetera.

REP. NAVA (J.). The Committee is always amenable to any better alternative, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TINIO. Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker, and with that, I end my interpellation.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The Dep. Majority Leader is recognized.

REP. DEFENSOR. Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize the next interpellator, the Gentleman from LPGMA, the Hon. Arnel U. Ty.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The Honorable Ty is recognized.


REP. TY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.


REP. DEFENSOR. Mr. Speaker, I move for a brief suspension of the session.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The session is suspended.

It was 10:30 p.m.



THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The session is resumed.

The Honorable Ty has been recognized and he has the floor.

REP. TY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor.I just have one question and this is regarding the

IRR of the Food Safety Act which this Congress has passed. So, what is the status of the IRR for Food Safety Act, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). As far as the DOH side is concerned, it is already finished. However, it needs to be finalized with the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TY. So, Mr. Speaker, are you saying that the delay now is in the hands of the DA and not with the DOH? How come or the question is, have you invited the federation on the swine industry in crafting the implementing rules and regulations of the Food Safety Act? Did you happen to invite them and ask their opinions or suggestions regarding the implementing rules and regulations of the Food Safety Act?

REP. NAVA (J.). The drafting or the procedure in which the IRR was drafted was open to the public. Everybody was invited that time, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor. A meeting will be arranged between the DOH and the DA to finalize the IRR, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

REP. TY. The problem is, I belong to that industry and I did not receive even a single invitation and, in fact, during the presentation or discussion regarding the Food Safety Act in the crafting of the IRR, we have discussed that you will be inviting the federation and the concerned industry regarding this IRR. How come you did not invite them?

I know that—especially the swine industry is very vocal and always following it up with the DA and the

FDA. The problem now is that you have now a crafted IRR that is now submitted to the DA, to the legal department, but the federation just learned that it is now in the legal department and they were not consulted. That is the question. How come the industry that is the one that need this Food Safety Act has not been asked about their opinion?

REP. NAVA (J.). We will ask the FDA, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, to arrange a meeting so that we can properly provide Your Honor the draft and listen to the concerns or whatever inputs that may be arranged from Your Honor’s end, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TY. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, the problem here is, now that they are thinking of discussing it and asking the opinion of the federation and the industry players, the IRR has been finished, and it is in the legal department already. If now they will be discussing it again, it will, again, delay the process. Remember that every day that this IRR is delayed, our Food Safety Act cannot be implemented, and everyday, millions of pesos are lost in the hands of the smugglers but the ones who suffer the most are the swine producers, the broilers, the farmers, our local industries. That is the problem that we want the Department of Agriculture and the FDA to correct, the process of doing and crafting the IRR by themselves and not asking the opinions of the concerned industry that will be affected by this Food Safety Act that will benefit our local industry. Now, you are telling us that again, today, you are going to invite them, then it will delay the process, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, as far as the DFA or rather, the FDA is concerned, there was an open invitation in the conduct of the crafting of the IRR. In fact, they went around all over the country, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, to get the inputs of the various sectors or stakeholders for that purpose.

REP. TY. Yes, but the problem is, our members are also scattered around the country, but not even a single member of us had been invited. Now, probably, I just want to ask, when can you commit to us that the IRR will be approved and will be implemented?

REP. NAVA (J.). A meeting will be scheduled between the two Secretaries and the DOH is planning to set it by next month, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TY. Mr. Speaker, my question is, when do you think it will be approved and implemented because, you know, a discussion between two Secretaries is not a guaranty that it will be approved as soon as possible. The problem is, every time this IRR is delayed, not only our


local industries suffer from this, but even our consumers. Those imported meats that we believe are expired are now in the market and they are now being used by our consumers. That is why we in the industry want this IRR to be passed. In fact, we have suggested, if this will be delayed, why do we not follow or use the pattern or the model of the USDA because we are getting a majority of our frozen meats from that area? That is why we want to have an IRR that should be implemented as soon as possible, Mr. Speaker.

REP. NAVA (J.). Maybe, that would be better made, Mr. Speaker, when the two Secretaries meet but as of now, international standards are being observed as far as food safety is concerned, as far as the FDA is concerned, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. TY. I do not believe, Mr. Speaker, that, without the IRR we are implementing the right guidelines because if you will see the date when the meat has been processed, it is more than six months and if it is for the consumption of our consumers, probably it is going to be almost one year from the time it has been processed. That is the dilemma and the concern of this Representation because it is not only giving our consumers unsafe food but also our local producers are the ones suffering because if it has expired meat from other countries, definitely it is much lower in price when it is going to be sold to the markets. That is why I am asking and requesting for this IRR to be approved and implemented.

Now, if you are going to say that it will depend on the two Secretaries, then I will not get any answers for my concerns, Mr. Speaker. I just want to have a guarantee. Can you guarantee us that by next year, 2015, the IRR for the Food Safety Act will be approved and implemented, Mr. Speaker?

REP. NAVA (J.). The Secretary can guarantee the 2015 deadline, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor, but I said it to expedite that process, for that purpose.

REP. TY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no more questions, and I hope that by next year, we will have an IRR for the Food Safety Act.

Thank you.


REP. DEFENSOR. Mr. Speaker, I move that we recognize the Honorable Bello (S.) for his interpellation.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The Hon. Silvestre “Bebot” H. Bello III is recognized.

REP. BELLO (S.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Distinguished Sponsor, I would like to invite your

attention to a very neglected and deprived hospital in the South. It is called the Amai Pakpak Medical Center. In relation to this medical center, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the honorable Sponsor if he is conversant with Republic Act No. 7943.


REP. NAVA (J.). May I ask for a one-minute suspension of the session, Mr. Speaker.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The session is suspended.

It was 10:48 p.m.



THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). The session is resumed. The honorable Sponsor is recognized.

REP. NAVA (J.). Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Your Honor.

I got hold of the law that had converted the said facility from a general hospital to a medical center, Your Honor, Mr. Speaker.

REP. BELLO (S.). Thank you, Mr. Speaker, distinguished Sponsor. I am surprised why it took you, the honorable Sponsor, took him almost three minutes to recollect Republic Act No. 7943, considering that just this month, the Secretary of Health issued Implementing Rules and Regulations No. 2014-0028, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Sponsor. That is why I was wondering why nobody could assist the honorable Sponsor on what this Republic Act No. 7943 is, considering that last September 8, the honorable Secretary of Department of Health issued IRR No. 2014-0028, or is it because, just like what the distinguished Gentleman from LPGMA, the Hon. Arnel Ty, was complaining about, Mr. Speaker, this IRR No. 2014-0028 was issued only this month, more than 10 years after Republic Act No. 7943 was enacted.

This is a clear case of criminal negligence because, Mr. Speaker, and distinguished Sponsor, with this non-issuance of this IRR, it is possible that our brother Muslims in the South could have died because in that medical center which was supposed to be the third-level tertiary hospital in the South, in the Bangsamoro community, Mr. Speaker, there were


no beds, there were no medical equipment that could service the hospital.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, my dear Sponsor, I visited the Secretary of the Department of Health after I visited that hospital, and informed him that while I saw an imposing building, napakalaking building, a very modern building, I found out na wala itong mga kama. Ngayon, ang mga pasyente na mga Muslim brothers natin ay pumupunta doon dala-dala ang kanilang kama. Walang oxygen tank, walang medical equipment, wala man lang CT scan, wala man lang MRI, this medical center in the South, Mr. Speaker.

That is what is known as criminal negligence, and I charge the Secretary of the Department of Health of criminal negligence. Maraming-maraming namatay na mga Muslim brothers natin dahil sa kapabayaan ninyo. You always act with condescension kapag ang ating mga Muslim brothers ang inaasikaso natin. That is why, Mr. Speaker, it is for this reason that I now move to defer the deliberations on the budget of the Department of Health.

REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker.


REP. DURANO. I move, Mr. Speaker, that we suspend the consideration of the budget of the Department of Health.


THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). There was a previous motion to defer the consideration of the budget. Let us hear from the movant.

REP. BELLO (S.). Okay, Mr. Speaker. I yield to the

desire of the honorable Asst. Minority Leader.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). We thank the Honorable Bello (S.). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

The deliberations on the budget of the Department of Health, including its attached agencies and corporations, is suspended.


SUSPENSION OF CONSIDERATION OF H.B. NO. 4968

REP. DURANO. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I move that we suspend the consideration of House Bill No. 4968.


THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the motion is approved.

The deliberations on House Bill No. 4968 is suspended.



REP. DURANO. Mr. Speaker, I move that we suspend the session until ten o’clock tomorrow morning.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Rep. Bondoc). Is there any objection? (Silence) The Chair hears none; the session is suspended until ten o’clock tomorrow morning.

It was 10:56 p.m.

Published by the Publication and Editorial Service, Plenary Affairs BureauThe Congressional Record can be accessed through the Downloads Center of the official website

of the House of Representatives at www.congress.gov.ph MAD/10142014/1456

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