Realigning priorities in health care

As budget deliberations intensify, members of Congress are rightly turning their attention to a matter of national urgency: health care. Every Filipino deserves access to quality medical services, and it is the government’s foremost duty to make this a reality.

This is precisely why the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Health (DOH) has come under intense scrutiny. Lawmakers have voiced serious concerns after discovering that nearly P1 billion is earmarked for office repairs and beautification. At a time when public hospitals are overcrowded, understaffed and lacking essential resources, such an allocation raises questions about the department’s priorities and how they reflect the needs of the Filipino people.

Former health secretary and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin questioned the allocation, saying the funds can better be used in support of the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law.

Garin questioned how such a fund could pass through the Department of Budget and Management’s review considering the pressing need for additional resources for public hospitals and rural health units. Moreover, the allocation contradicts the policy directive of President Marcos pushing for “zero balance billing” in hospitals.

While it is true that DOH employees deserve to work in safe, functional and dignified environments, the current state of our health care system demands a more urgent and compassionate allocation of public funds.

With countless hospitals, rural health units and barangay health centers struggling due to chronic underfunding, most of them lacking essential equipment, medical supplies and adequate staffing - it is clear that every peso must be directed toward strengthening frontline services.

Office beautification, however well-intentioned, must take a backseat to the more pressing needs of patients and health care workers on the ground.

Including line items of this magnitude does not only hinder progress towards providing truly universal health care, it is also a disservice to millions of taxpaying Filipinos who religiously pay their dues and yet, when they need it most, often face difficulties in accessing state health care services.

What message does a P1 billion allocation for office beautification send to Filipinos enduring long lines in overburdened public hospitals? Or to those who are forced to cross oceans or go down mountains just to get medical attention?

The DOH must reconsider its priorities and allocate funds for what our health care system really needs. Instead of cosmetic upgrades to offices, budget allocations should flow into expanding preventive health care programs, upgrading state hospitals with modern diagnostic equipment, and strengthening PhilHealth subsidies to ensure that no Filipino is denied care due to financial hardship. Equally important is investing in human resources for health — hiring and retaining more doctors, nurses and midwives, particularly in underserved areas.

I call on our lawmakers and society in general to look into and scrutinize the proposed 2026 national budget more intently to ensure that it reflects the needs of the people. The proposed P1 billion should be reallocated to serve the needs of our health care system, not on aesthetics.

At the same time, the Department of Budget and Management should exercise greater vigilance to ensure that proposed expenditure plans of agencies reflect their mandate and are aligned with the overall policy of the administration.

Our health care system is strained and in desperate need of support. Many hospitals are running on tight budgets and are making do with aging facilities and overworked health care workers. A case in point is the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City, which had to convert its gymnasium into a temporary ward last month to treat patients with leptospirosis following heavy flooding caused by intensified monsoon rains and poor flood control.

The DOH budget should prioritize how it could best save lives and serve the people’s welfare. Prudent budgeting demands allocating funds towards improved medical service delivery, better infrastructure and wider healthcare accessibility. Let’s prioritize lives than beautification initiatives. These are allocations that would directly support the objective of universal health care and would ensure that taxes are used for the benefit of the people.

I echo Rep. Garin’s call for a redo of the DOH proposed budget — one that reflects the agency’s mandate and ensures prudent use of public funds. Let us prioritize lives, because when we do, we build a nation that truly cares.