Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has compelled the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to fund the measures that seek to upgrade the facilities of nine hospitals in the country.

During Wednesday’s deliberation on the measures filed by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go on the various bills seeking to enhance the bed capacity and improve the facilities of at least nine hospitals, Drilon was able to secure a total of P4.8-billion funding for these projects.

“The funding of these hospitals will be hanging in the air if there’s no specific appropriation cover. We recognize the need for these hospitals especially during this pandemic,” Drilon said.

“Hence, we insisted that funding should be included in the measures,” the minority leader said, pointing to the possibility that the bills will add to the growing list of unfunded laws in the country.

The DBM has committed to include the funding in the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) under the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Drilon and Go earlier clashed after the latter accused the veteran senator of delaying the passage of the bills and asked that debates on the measure be terminated.

Senators observed such practice was “never” done in the Senate.

They were finally able to resolve the issue after they agreed to source the funding for the bills from the 2022 national budget.

Drilon said the initial source of the funding should come from the HFEP fund and if it is insufficient must be sourced from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund (MPBF) and the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF).

The MPBF has P29.3-billion while the PGF has P152.9-billion under this year’s budget.

Drilon proposed that P8-million be appropriated for the Lying-In Clinic in Rizal, Palawan; P200-million for the capital outlay of the Naguilian Hospital in La Union, P200-million for the Rosario District Hospital in La Union; P200-million for the Sinait District Hospital in Sinait, Ilocos Sur and P600-million for the capital outlay of the Bacolod City General Hospital in Bacolod City.

He also proposed to include P900-million each for Eastern Pangasinan Regional Medical and Trauma Center in Rosales, Pangasinan, Davao Occidental General Hospital in Davao Occidental, Senate President Neptali Gonzales in Mandaluyong, and Medina Extension Hospital in Misamis Oriental.

The Senate adopted all of Drilon’s amendments, especially the much-needed budget for the upgrade of the hospitals.

“I am proposing this because I don’t want to disappoint our people. We will pass a law which will add hospital beds and yet, there is no fund to back it up,” Drilon said.

“Niloloko lang po natin ang taumbayan. Wala namang perang nakalagay doon (We are only fooling the people. When there is no fund allocated for that),” he said.

“Our amendments will make the health facilities improvement more credible because there is a corresponding appropriation,” he stressed.