House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The newly-signed Regional Specialty Centers Act will be funded under the 2024 national budget. 

House Speaker Martin Romualdez gave this guarantee on Wednesday morning, Aug. 30 despite the fact that the law, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 11959, wasn't taken into account when the P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) was crafted. 

This was becasue the outlay was prepared months before the President signed the law. 

“In any case, we in the House will ensure that the necessary initial appropriations are allocated for the implementation of the law and the setting up, equipping and staffing of the special medical care units in regional hospitals,” Romualdez said in a statement. 

Romualdez, leader of the 311-strong House of Representatives, said he would ask the Committee on Appropriations to see to it that such funds are incorporated in the proposed 2024 national budget. 

The NEP, which the House is currently scrutinizing through the appropriations panel, is the precursor to the national budget. 

Romualdez lauded President Marcos for his recent signing the bill on the establishment of regional specialty medical centers. 

“Once these special care facilities are established, people in the provinces, in rural areas, no longer need to travel to Metro Manila to receive specialized treatment and care. They will be spending less for transportation and other related costs. We are bringing the centers closer to our people,” said the Leyte 1st district congressman. 

At present, he said specialty hospitals - Heart Center, Kidney Center, Lung Center, Children’s Medical Center, and Orthopedic Hospital - are all located in Metro Manila. 

He said the specialized regional units would have the necessary equipment and staff to care for the sick coming from remote communities. 

Meanwhile, Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes, a co-author of the House-approved version of RA No.11959, highlighted in a separate statement Wednesday the key provisions of the new law. 

Reyes said that under the law, the Department of Health (DOH) is designated to establish specialty centers prioritizing cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung care, renal care and kidney transplant, brain and spine care, trauma care, and burn care. 

The specialty centers shall also prioritize orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, toxicology, mental health, geriatric care, neonatal care, dermatology, eye care, and ear, nose, and throat care. 

"It is the government's duty to bring these specialty centers closer to our people and through the signing of this law we can reassure our kababayans that wherever they are in the Philippines, they can have access to specialized care,” Reyes added. 

"Anakalusugan has always pushed for the creation of specialty centers in the provinces to unburden our kababayans from unnecessary travel and other expenses and this a big step in our goal of ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare services for all," the rookie lawmaker said.