BATANGAS CITY, Batangas--Republic Act (RA) No.11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act is a very good law, but hard to implement.
Vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio made this admission Wednesday, April 20 about the UHC Act in front of some 500 nurses and other healthcare professionals at the DREAM Zone auditorium, Capitol compound here.
"When it comes to the issues and challenges of our healthcare sectors, ang laki din ng dapat gawin pa ng government, unang-una na ang (there is so much left for the government to do, foremost of which is the) Universal Healthcare Act," Mayor Duterte said in her speech.
"We are trying our best na ma-implement yung (to implement the) Act, napakaganda nung batas (it's a very good law) and it is a very big challenge for local government units (LGUs) na aming ibaba yung mga pwedeng gawin at pwedeng makatulong sa ating mga kababayan na nasa ating Act (to have the different benefits of the Act trickle down to our people)," she noted.
According to the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) chairperson, LGUs are finding it difficult to "operationalize" the 2019 law.
'It is already a law, but...ang bagal ng implementation ng batas. Ang daming mga reforms na supposedly dapat nandoon, but hindi pa (...the implementation of the law is slow. There are many reforms that are supposed to be there, but aren't).
"Even in our city, the local government of Davao City, hirap kami how to operationalize the UHC. And hindi namin alam kung saan kami magsisimula (we find it hard to operationalize the UHC. And we don't know where to start)," the presidential daughter said.
The UHC law is considered one of the legacy legislation of the President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's administration, along with RA 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (free college tuition law).
Mayor Duterte is running on the platform of continuity, meaning she plans to continue the programs of her father, President Duterte.
The lady mayor would later hint in her speech that the Davao LGU, which she leads, is working hard to make the law work.
"So in Davao City sinisimulan na namin ang mga (we will start with the) discussions with the Department of Health (DOH) and the local government unit and our government hospitals and hopefully in the next two to three years, we will be able to see the operationalization ng Universal Health Care Act in Davao City," she said.
"And of course for the rest of the LGUs in our country, and dagdag pa doon sa healthcare sector natin is yung benefits, number one the compensation; pangalawa the benefits (there should be additional benefits, number one is the compensation; second the benefits) and the other pay para sa ating mga (for our) healthcare workers na (that) should be competitive sa sweldo doon sa abroad or sa (with the pay abroad or) overseas so that we our healthcare workers decide to stay with their families and work for our country instead of working abroad away from their families because of the higher pay and benefits that they get from other offers from overseas," she further said.