By Genalyn Kabiling and Argyll Cyrus Geducos President Duterte has called on par­ents to let their children be immunized to protect them from diseases despite the controversy generated by the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech after leading the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital (SLRGH) in Malabon City on January 29, 2019. (TOTO LOZANO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) The President assured the parents that not all vaccines are "deleterious or dangerous," as he expressed concern over the decreasing number of children inoculated to combat certain diseases. "One is ‘yung Dengvaxia. Simula ‘yung nagkaroon ng gulo dito maraming mga pamilya dito sa Pilipinas, hindi lang sa Malabon, na natakot ng mga itong vaccination at ayaw na ," Duterte said during the groundbreaking of the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital in Malabon City Tuesday. "Do not be lulled and be compla­cent about it kasi ang sanggol talaga kailangan. Iyong Dengvaxia lang kung ayaw ninyo okay lang ," he told the parents. Duterte told the parents about the integrity of the government's immunization program, citing the administration's commitment to ensure public health. "Hindi naman lahat bakuna 'yung deleterious or dangerous. Proven naman 'yan ," he said. "Lahat ng anak ninyo hindi na­man tayo nagkulang sa bakuna eh ‘di – because it is good and it is for the health of the person noong maliit pa hanggang lumaki," he said. Alarming Government records show a "great drop" in the immunization coverage in the country. The Presi­dent lamented there were fewer children vaccinated to help combat illness such as measles, hepatitis, polio, and tetanus. "It is alarming to government for people to shy away from vaccination for their children," he said. The Department of Health ear­lier pulled out the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia amid the alleged health risks facing inoculated children. Complaints have been filed against certain health officials and the pharmaceutical executives over the deaths of children allegedly caused by the Dengvaxia vaccine. The deaths have triggered fear among parents who refuse to enrol they kids in the government-spon­sored immunization programs. Sufficient medicine At the groundbreaking of the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital in Malabon city, the President vowed to improve government hospitals to deliver better services to the Filipino people. “I will guarantee you na uunahin ko talaga ‘yang medisina sa lahat. Iyan ang pinakamahirap ‘yang makita ko … iyong tao na...dala lang sa reseta, hindi niya malaman kung saan niya kunin (that I will prioritize medicine for all. That's the most difficult thing I see because people have prescrip­tions but don't know where to get money for it). But at least during my term,” Duterte said. The President said he plans to use half of the Philippine Amuse­ment and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) funds so that there will be medicine for all, especially the poor. Duterte admitted he could not bear to see people worrying about the cost of their medical treatment. "The medicines will have to be sourced from the money that Pag­cor makes, at least a good portion. Maybe half of it," Duterte said. "Kasi yung iba ipapa-repair mo ‘yung mga hospital ganun, what­ever. Pero there... Ang gusto ko kasi, there will never be a lack of medi­cines for the people ," he added. "Uubusin ko ‘yang pera ng Pag­cor. Tutal gambling ‘yan. Eh ano nga kita ng gambling ‘yan eh. Eh ‘di ibubuhos ko doon [I will use up the Pagcor funds. After all, it came from gambling. I will pour the funds there]," he added. The hospital, which will be ex­panded from a 10-bed capacity San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital to a 200-bed capacity general hospital, was "truly a promising develop­ment," Duterte said. The health facility would soon serve not only the people of Mala­bon, but also patients coming from adjoining areas such as Camanava and Bulacan. "I reiterate this administration’s resolute commitment to enhance and strengthen the operational ca­pabilities of government hospitals to cope with the healthcare and medical needs of the Filipinos, es­pecially the poor and the marginal­ized," he said. Back in 2016, the President first announced plans to use a portion of Pagcor earnings for health-related projects, including free medicines for poor patients. He previously di­rected Pacgor to set aside P2 billion for the government's free medicine project.