SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday slammed the Department of Health (DOH) over the unfinished construction of 123 infrastructure projects, worth more than P11.5 billion, which have been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, questioned Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa about the “non-completed on time” projects worth P11,539,417,884 during the committee hearing on the proposed DOH budget for 2026.
Gatchalian said delays in the completion of the projects have rendered them useless.
“Ang value ng contracts is about P11 billion. So, ibig sabihin, P11 billion ginastos pero hindi tapos ‘yung projects. Ganon kalaki, Secretary, ang perang nakahimpil (The total value of the contracts is about P11 billion. This means that we spent P11 billion but the projects remain unfinished. That’s a big amount of money which have become stagnant),” he said.
In the 2024 COA report, the audit team noted that the projects remained incomplete due to continued occupancy of the construction areas by DOH personnel, poor coordination among stakeholders that caused approval delays, lack of recipient readiness, frequent changes in site locations and delays in processing documentary requirements for lot ownership, low absorptive capacity of local government units in planning the projects which led to setbacks, and some project sites that were located in “red zone areas.”
Herbosa told the committee that he has been informed about the non-completed projects.
“Those include different projects… But those were eventually fixed, some of those, especially the ones in the COA report, sometimes they were fixed a year later after negotiations,” he said in Filipino.
He acknowledged, though, that “definitely, we don’t get value for money because of the delays.”
Gatchalian rebuked Herbosa for not swiftly acting on the delays, insisting that the P11.5 billion allotted funds should have been put to proper use.
He likewise blamd the DOH’s poor planning, lack of coordination, and poor execution for the delays.
“But then again, the concern of the senators is that the funds have been sleeping,” he added.
DOH ‘GHOST’ PROJECT
On the alleged ghost projects in the DOH, Herbosa said he only knows of one in the Zamboanga peninsula, which he said was contracted out to St. Timothy Construction Company, which is owned by contractor Sarah and Curlee Discaya.
“Hindi pa po nagagamit dahil nga hindi pa tapos… Pina-iimbestigahan ko pa lang doon sa regional director and of course, may due process. We’ll go through all the whole process and kaka-discover ko lang ito with all the Blue Ribbon hearings (That is still not being used because it is unfinished… I have already ordered our regional director to conduct an investigation, and of course, there will be due process. We’ll go through all the whole process. I only discovered this because of the Blue Ribbon hearings),” he said.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo asked if Herbosa wanted the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) to include the Zamboanga Peninsula project in its investigation, pointing out that it also involves an infrastructure project.
Herbosa said “it would be nice,” but added he would rather have the case filed against DOH officials before the Ombudsman if evidence warrants.
“We have our own internal process. But if it does not work, then we will submit (to the ICI),” he said.
COLLUSION?
Herbosa said he believes there is collusion between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), DOH officials, and contractors in the alleged ghost project in Zamboanga Peninsula.
“Yan po ang aking conclusion din. Kasi kung ang engineer na nag-inspect from our side, binigyan siya ng clean bill na completed, mababayaran siya. Kasi hindi naman ma-i-issue kung hindi bibigyan ng inspection clearance. So, ‘yung ang side ko na iimbestigahan ko. Bakit siya nabayaran kung hindi pa completed eh dapat yan progress billing (That is my conclusion because our engineer inspected the project and gave it a clean bill, that’s why the contractor got paid. The payment will not be released if there was no inspection clearance. So, that is what I ordered to be investigated – why was the contractor paid if the project is not yet completed. That should be a progress billing),” he told senators.
He added he has ordered for an audit of all DOH infrastructure projects, especially those that have been delayed.
ZERO BILLING PROGRAM
Meanwhile, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino urged the DOH to publish the list of hospitals where the zero-balance hospital billing is being implemented, pointing out that most Filipinos are still unaware of the program.
Aquino said the DOH should also include in the publication the guidelines on how to avail of the program.
“I don’t think they know that this is available to them already,” Aquino said.
Herbosa agreed with Aquino, saying that a lot of netizens do not believe that the program exists.
Aquino said the DOH must also urge hospitals to inform patients about the program so they can avail free hospital billing.
“But I’m sure if more of our countrymen knew that there is a ‘free’ option …many of them will opt for that,” he said.
