Legislative insertions in the national budget are a major cause of delays and underutilization of funds for the Department of Health (DOH)’s projects as lawmakers add projects without consulting the agency, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.
During the Senate finance committee’s hearing for the DOH’s 2027 budget, Lacson said the problem is similar to what he observed in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) where inserted projects could not be readily implemented because they were not in its original plans.
In Filipino: Lacson: Legislative Insertions Pangunahing Dahilan ng Pagkaantala, Underutilization sa mga Proyekto ng DOH
“Ang major cause ng delay at ng underutilization ng pondo, insertions. So hindi kasalanan ng DOH. Ito ang post-NEP. May program kayo sa NEP di nyo ma-implement properly kasi di kasama sa plan ninyo because of insertions made by legislators. Huwag na kayong mahiya. Yan ang totoo (A major cause of delay and underutilization of funds in the DOH is insertions. It is not the DOH’s fault. These insertions are made after the National Expenditure Program is approved. The DOH has programs in the NEP but after the budget is passed, it could not implement projects properly because of insertions made by legislators. Don’t be shy to say that because that’s the truth),” he told DOH Secretary Edwin Mercado.
When Mercado replied this was “partly” the case, Lacson said, “You are just being polite. But don’t worry. Kasi pagdating sa bicam trabaho yan ni Sen. JV Ejercito na ma-address ang issue (when the budget measure reaches the bicam stage it will be Senate finance committee chairman JV Ejercito’s job to address this issue).”
Earlier, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian had noted deficiencies in the DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), including delayed implementation, idle facilities, and underutilized facilities.
“Kaya nagkakaroon ng underutilization at di na-implement… ganyan sa DPWH. Kasi paano ma-implement kung di kayo nagplano, kung saan-saan na-insert? Sa period of amendments kanya kanyang singitan tapos di ma-implement kasi wala sa plan ninyo wala sa priorities ninyo wala sa needs ninyo. Ang legislator na nagsingit, walang coordination sa DOH (That’s why there is underutilization and failure to implement – it’s similar to the situation of the DPWH. How can the DOH implement programs that it did not plan because they were inserted during the period of amendments? They were not in the DOH’s plans, needs or priorities. And the legislator who inserted the projects did not coordinate with the DOH),” Lacson said.
“It’s bad enough nag-insert pero at least man lang prior to insertion or amendment bumusina man lang ito kaya bang implement (It’s bad enough that a legislator would insert projects. At least prior to insertion or amendment, he or she could have asked the DOH if it could implement those projects),” he added.
Gatchalian said he agreed with Lacson, saying many Super Health Centers appeared to be “inserted” but the local government units could not run them properly due to the expenses for electricity and medicines.
“These are institutional problems that must be addressed. This is beyond your level. Pagdating ng budget deliberations, anyway (These are institutional problems that must be addressed. These are beyond your level when it comes to budget deliberations),” Lacson told Mercado.
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Lacson: Legislative Insertions Pangunahing Dahilan ng Pagkaantala, Underutilization sa mga Proyekto ng DOH
Ang mga legislative insertion sa national budget ay isang pangunahing dahilan ng pagkaantala at underutilization ng pondo para sa mga proyekto ng Department of Health (DOH), dahil sumisingit ang mga mambabatas ng mga proyekto nang hindi kumukunsulta sa ahensya, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Committee sa 2027 budget ng DOH, sinabi ni Lacson na katulad ito ng napansin niya sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), kung saan hindi agad maipapatupad ang mga isiningit na proyekto dahil hindi bahagi ang mga ito ng orihinal na plano ng ahensya.
“Ang major cause ng delay at ng underutilization ng pondo, insertions. So hindi kasalanan ng DOH. Ito ang post-NEP. May program kayo sa NEP di nyo ma-implement properly kasi di kasama sa plan ninyo because of insertions made by legislators. Huwag na kayong mahiya. Yan ang totoo,” aniya kay DOH Secretary Edwin Mercado.
Nang sabihin ni Mercado na “partly” na ito ang dahilan, sinabi ni Lacson: “You are just being polite. But don’t worry. Kasi pagdating sa bicam trabaho yan ni Sen. JV Ejercito na ma-address ang issue.”
Bago nito, binigyang-diin ni Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian ang mga kakulangan sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) ng DOH, kabilang ang pagkaantala sa implementasyon at mga pasilidad na idle at underutilized.
“Kaya nagkakaroon ng underutilization at di na-implement… ganyan sa DPWH. Kasi paano ma-implement kung di kayo nagplano, kung saan-saan na-insert? Sa period of amendments kanya kanyang singitan tapos di ma-implement kasi wala sa plan ninyo wala sa priorities ninyo wala sa needs ninyo. Ang legislator na nagsingit, walang coordination sa DOH,” ani Lacson.
“It’s bad enough nag-insert pero at least man lang prior to insertion or amendment bumusina man lang ito kaya bang implement,” dagdag niya.
Sumang-ayon si Gatchalian kay Lacson, at sinabing maraming Super Health Center ang tila “inserted” ngunit hindi ito maayos na mapatakbo ng mga local government unit dahil sa gastusin sa kuryente at gamot.
“These are institutional problems that must be addressed. This is beyond your level. Pagdating ng budget deliberations, anyway,” diin ni Lacson kay Mercado.
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