Sen. Grace Poe said today that the health sector should have more funding in the proposed 2021 national budget.
At the resumption of the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the P4.506-trillion government expenditure plan for 2021, Poe inquired about the administration's priorities following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since COVID-19 is still present, one will assume that improving our health facilities would be the priority," Poe said in the virtual hearing attended by economic and finance managers.
Poe asked why the Department of Health has a lesser budget compared to other agencies.
She cited the proposed funds for flood-control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highway which she noted was bigger than the entire budget of the DoH for next year.
"My question is bakit mas malaki ang funding ng flood control projects ng DPWH sa buong budget ng DoH (why was the funding for the DPWH's flood-control projects bigger than the entire budget of the DoH)?" Poe asked.
"I just want to clarify kasi ang pondo ng DoH ay P131.22 billion pero ang pondo ng DPWH for flood control projects ay at least P150 billion (because the funds for DoH is P131.22 billion but the DPWH's funds for flood control is at least P150 billion)," she compared.
She noted that while environmental concerns should not be neglected, the implementation of such projects would be difficult to monitor.
"There’s really some legitimate flood control projects, but as you know there are few flood control projects that are questionable because it’s very hard to keep track of them if they were really done."
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, in response, said their proposed budget allocations aimed to balance health and economic concerns.
"Even as we go through the process of really allocating all of these funds, we are trying to, we did our best but even so, we will always fall short because of the ambivalence of the environment. But certainly, our desire, your honor, is really to strike a balance between health and economy,"