Gov’t proposes P838.35-B for Covid-19 programs

MANILA – Projects related to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) included in the proposed 2021 national budget amount to around PHP838.35 billion, Budget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado said.

This is nearly 20 percent of the proposed PHP4.5-trillion budget for next year.

During the Palace virtual press briefing Tuesday, Avisado said the budget is not solely for the Department of Health (DOH) but will be allocated across the various government agencies.

He said agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have been tasked to have their own programs that will help address the pandemic to lessen the burden of the DOH.

“So sana po tingnan natin sa kabuuan at hindi lang po pinu-focus lang natin sa Department of Health ang usaping Covid-19 po. (I hope we look at the whole picture and not focus Covid-19 issues on DOH alone),” he said.

Avisado said among the Covid-19-related programs that will be funded by next year’s budget are the health insurance premiums for at least 13 million indigent families and seven million senior citizens, PHP71.35 billion; medical assistance for indigent patients, PHP17.31 billion; and hiring and deployment of about 26,035 doctors, nurses and other health care workers, PHP16.58 billion.

Also, PHP51.56 million has been allocated for disease surveillance and monitoring of Covid-19 and other respiratory infections; PHP2.7 billion for the acquisition of more than two million sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals, laboratories and regional swab centers; PHP1.03 billion for the acquisition of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cartridges for fast and accurate testing of Covid-19 cases; PHP2.5 billion for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines; PHP11.6 billion for health facilities enhancement program and purchase of medical equipment and medical-related motor vehicles like an ambulance.

Some PHP283 million has been allocated for the establishment of the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, and PHP66 million for the country’s participation in the International Solidarity Clinical Trial for Covid-19 Vaccine to be launched by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Avisado said the Cabinet, during its meeting Monday night, decided to adopt a case management stance instead of risk avoidance set-up in a bid to further open the economy.

This is to ensure the government will have the necessary revenues for its various programs, among others, he added.