Reenacted budget sa panahon ng pandemya: ‘Di puwede ‘yan! — Bong Go

HINDI pabor si Senator Bong Go kung magiging reenacted ang pambansang badyet ng bansa sa susunod na taon dahil hindi ito sasapat sa mga kinakailangang pondohan na mga opisina ng gobyerno, programa at proyekto, partikular na ang sistema sa pangkalusugan.

Iginiit ni Go na hindi uubra sa gobyerno, lalo na sa health sector, na mag-operate sa susunod na taon na reenacted ang budget dahil hindi ito angkop sa patuloy na pandemya o krisis na dulot ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“Now, more than ever, we need to focus our spending on health. With this considered, we cannot afford to have a reenacted budget next year. Hindi po talaga puwede. We cannot just operate on a budget next fiscal year that is unresponsive to our current crisis,” ani Go sa public hearing ng Senate committee on finance.

Ani Go, sinusuportahan niya ang pag-apruba sa pondo ng Department of Health dahil ito ang nagsisilbing forefront agency ng bansa sa paglaban sa COVID-19.

“As chairman of the committee on health, I have thoroughly reviewed the proposed budget for health. Thus, I emphasize that we must ensure that we have enough budget for the procurement of PPEs, masks and COVID-19 test kits, enough for the appropriate compensation of our health workers at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 and enough to further augment the operation of our government hospitals,” anang senador.

Gayunman, ikinalungkot ni Go ang pagtapyas sa Epidemiology and Surveillance, and Quick Response fund ng DOH, lalo ngayong may health crisis.

“The decreases in the budget are lamentable considering that these two line items are used in our response to the pandemic,” sabi ni Go.

“One is for accurate and timely health information, and the other is for health emergency response. I call on the committee to look into this matter at tututukan rin po natin ito,” dagdag niya.

Hinimok niya ang komite na humanap ng paraan para matiyak ang sapat na pondo sa Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) ng DOH dahil higit itong kailangan ngayong may pandemya.

“I also observed that the programmed budget for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program will decrease to P4.8 billion next year from P8.4 billion this year. The programmed appropriations will just be for equipment. Although there is another P5.5 billion for infrastructure, this is lodged under the Unprogrammed Fund, ibig sabihin wala pa pong pondo,” ani Go.

Aniya hindi dapat mabinbin ang pondo sapagkat ang infrastructure projects ay dapat na iprayoridad.

“Kailangan natin ‘yan ngayong pandemya para siguradong may sapat na kapasidad ang tatakbuhang ospital ng ating mga kababayan,” sabi ng mambabatas.

Dapat ding tiyakin aniya na may sapat na pondong nakalaan sa pagbili ng bakuna laban sa COVID-19 sakaling magkaroon na nito sa merkado.

“Based on the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte, the national government shall vaccinate twenty million Filipinos as a priority. To do this, I urge the Committee on Finance to consider increasing the budget for the procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine,” aniya.

Sa panukalang badyet ng DOH, mayroon itong inilaan na P2.5 billion sa pagbili ng COVID-19 vaccine na ilibreng ipamimigay sa 3.8 million Filipinos.

“Mukhang hindi po ito sapat para mabakunahan lahat ng mga kababayan natin, lalo na ang mga mahihirap at nasa vulnerable sector. Kapag dumating ang panahon na mayroon nang vaccine at gamot laban sa COVID-19, hindi dapat natin pabayaan ang mga mahihirap, unahin po natin sila,” idiini ni Go. (PFT Team)