PHO’s 2018 budget faces possible cut

CEBU, Philippines — The 2018 budget of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) might be slashed by 14 percent or P350 million from its proposed appropriation of P2.5 billion, according to the provincial treasurer.

Cebu Provincial Treasurer Emmanuel Guial said the PHO could avail up to P350 million for its next year’s operations so other departments and offices could also get fair fundings.

Dr.  Rene Catan, PHO head, said the proposed P2.5 billion budget is intended for the enhancement of the “entire public health system” of Cebu.

Of the P2.5 billion, P1.2 billion would be set aside for the public health and the remaining P1.3 billion is for the upgrade of the province’s 16 provincial and district hospitals.

Under public health, PHO has 12 programs, which is subdivided into two categories namely, communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Under hospitals, the health office aims to focus on utilizing its funds to construct an additional six-storey medical facility in Carcar City and upgrade its facilities and hire more personnel.

The programs are in line with the province’s goal of transforming the hospital into a medical center.

Catan emphasized that the programs need to be strengthened even more with the “re-emergence” of the worsening cases of tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and dengue. The programs also seek to lower the maternal and infant mortality rates in the province.

“Health won’t come to us cheap,” Catan said.

“Nidako pag-ayo pagsulod sa 2017 and atong gipangayo pag 2018 kay mas klaro na ang strategy sa health,” he added.

If P2.5 billion is approved, Catan said, the provincial government could recoup it within five years.

He said the four provincial hospitals in the municipality of Balamban and the cities of Carcar, Danao and Bogo are capable of earning P500 million a year once they are upgraded into medical centers.

“Bite the bullet now. We can earn P2.5 billion in five years, “he said.

But Catan said his office will understand if the executive department will cut down its budget.

“PHO is not the only department that the Capitol is supporting so asking for a lump sum is a shoot to the moon,” he said.

A big bulk of the source of fund for next year’s budget would be sourced from the sale of the Cebu International Convention Center.

The provincial government is set to sell the idle property to Mandaue City for P300 million. In fact, the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has already authorized Governor Hilario Davide III to sell the CICC to Mandaue.

CICC was built in 2006 during the time of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia through a joint venture agreement between the province and Mandaue City. The province built the structure on a 38,136 square-meter lot owned by Mandaue at the North Reclamation Area.

The CICC became one of the major venues of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2007.

In 2013, however, the structure was damaged heavily by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Central Visayas in October and by super typhoon Yolanda in November.

It ended up in a “dilapidated state and in need of major repairs” but Davide said fixing the structure is not his priority.

Today, the CICC’s perimeter is used as a relocation site for fire victims. (FREEMAN)