The lower budgets of some health programs for next year is due to, among others, lack of details to support the need for proposed funding, less funding requirement, low utilization rate, and a smaller proposed budget, according to a statement released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) yesterday.
The DBM has released its statement to shed light on certain concerns raised by some lawmakers regarding the allocation of funds for several health programs under the proposed national budget for 2023.
These programs, which are implemented by the Department of Health (DOH), include the Epidemiology and Surveillance Program, Health Regulatory Program, Public Health Program, and the Health Emergency Management Program.
“First, allow us to note that the national government is in a tight fiscal position. Thus, the DBM recognizes the need to carefully prioritize programs and projects based on available budget, and uphold sound fiscal management,” the DBM said.
The agency then identified specific reasons for the decreases in the budget levels of the above-mentioned programs of the DOH.
The DBM said the National Expenditure Program budget level for the Epidemiology and Surveillance Program for 2023 pertains to budget proposal which were substantiated with details by the DOH.
“Other items proposed for these programs were not supported with details and hence, had been considered as not yet ready for implementation,” the DBM said.
Meanwhile, the DBM said the significant decrease in the budget level for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases is due to the lower requirement for personal protective equipment (PPE) requested by the DOH for 2023, from P5.304 billion in 2022 to P1.020 billion next year.
The DBM said according to DOH, the procurement of PPEs was already transferred directly to the hospitals.
“When DBM allocates budget, it also takes into consideration the utilization rate of the agency. The decrease in the provision for Public Health Management was due to its low utilization rate. Disbursement rate for this program in 2021 registered only at 76.7 percent,” the DBM also said.
For the Health Emergency Program, the budget agency said the DOH proposed P752.341 million, lower by P61.484 million compared to the 2022 budget of P813.8 million.
“The decrease in the Health Regulatory Program’s budget is primarily due to the P4.7 million congressional adjustment in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, which was not considered for 2023,” the DBM said.
According to the DBM, no allocation was also provided for COVID-19 Human Resource for Health Emergency Hiring for 2023 considering that the requirements for vaccinators will be chargeable against the local government unit budget.
“On the zero provision for procurement of COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters, it is noted that a standby fund amounting to P22 billion has been provided for vaccines under Unprogrammed Appropriations,” the DBM said.
It pointed out that despite the tight fiscal position of the national government, the health sector received a 10.4 percent budget increase at P296.3 billion in the 2023 National Expenditure Program. This is inclusive of the budgets of the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
“At any rate, the DBM yields to the collective wisdom of the honorable members of congress if they find it meritorious to increase further the budget of the DOH as budget deliberations, hearings and debates are being held this season,” the budget department said. – Angela Celis
