Business-as-usual 2022 budget unresponsive to pandemic – IBON

August 26, 2021

The proposed 2022 national budget is perplexingly business-as-usual with the same priorities as before the pandemic. There is still disproportionate attention to infrastructure, the military and police, and debt service with only marginal changes to the health and social protection budgets. This latest spending plan should not just be scrutinized but also retailored to give due attention to urgent medical and economic responses.

Duterte administration’s shift to MECQ meaningless without urgent COVID-19 steps

August 20, 2021

The government has announced the easing of community quarantines. But new cases are still rising and there are no signs of government taking additional measures to fix the health system during the last two weeks of stricter lockdowns. If the health system is as weak as ever, what’s our way out of the pandemic?

PhilHealth Failure

September 22, 2020

The second biggest chunk of the proposed 2021 health budget, or Php71.4 billion, goes to PhilHealth. While noting recent corruption controversies in the agency, it is difficult to reconcile the unchanged budget with increasing health expenses of Filipinos.

Proposed 2021 health budget shrinks, neglects public health–IBON 

September 22, 2020

NEWS

The lower budget for the public health in the proposed national government budget for 2021 will keep health care inaccessible and expensive for too many Filipinos.

Budget for infrastructure towers over health, social protection, MSME support–IBON

September 16, 2020

NEWS

Health and social protection even in terms of infrastructure should be prioritized but these are dwarfed by programs such as roadworks and grandiose transport projects that are not as urgent.

It really hurts: Economic infrastructure over health

September 12, 2020

BY JOSE LORENZO LIM

Are the planned infrastructure projects really what the economy needs right now after everything that’s happened this year? How much of the infrastructure helps fight the COVID-19 pandemic?

Philippine health recovery not a priority for Duterte administration

September 10, 2020

BY MARICAR PIEDAD

This budget will be crucial for the Philippines to fast track recovery from the worst health and economic crisis in its history because of COVID-19. But it is not at all about health recovery as the Duterte administration hypes.

Low govt priority to health impairs capacity to deal with nCoV

February 4, 2020

NEWS

The decreasing share for health in the national government budget shows the low priority given to this. This affects the country’s ability to address public health challenges such as the novel coronavirus (nCoV).