COVID-19 and the Philippine Healthcare System

March 20, 2020

BY JOSE LORENZO LIM

Earlier this year amid the growing threat of the COVID-19 virus, DOH Secretary Duque said that the Philippines does not have a weak healthcare system. But is the country’s health system really “not weak” and ready for this pandemic?

Sin taxes, UHC to fund privatization of health services–IBON

June 1, 2019

Research group IBON said that government must allot a higher budget for public health services rather than fund private health providers through the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act. Also known as Republic Act (RA) 11223, the UHC Act ostensibly aims to provide all Filipinos with promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services “without causing […]

Heed Cuba lessons, boost public health care, DOH urged

September 9, 2016

  Research group IBON said that Filipinos will benefit if the government adopts Cuba’s model of a state-run health care system. The group stressed that people’s access to this social service is becoming more limited by Philippine health services being increasingly run by the private sector for profit. Department of Health (DOH) officials recently toured […]

Hindi lumingon–a second look? The economics of the Duterte administration

May 14, 2016

by Sonny Africa IBON FEATURES – Presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte projected a vastly different image from the other presidential candidates and indeed from every national politician the Philippines has ever had: coarse, cussing, irreverent, misogynistic, an unrepentant human rights violator, and a self-proclaimed “Socialist” and “Leftist”. But, never mind, the strongman was effective and got […]

Path not to take: The exclusionary and elitist Daang Matuwid

May 8, 2016

#BeyondElections2016 | The Aquino administration’s long-playing call to sustain its so-called legacy of a fast-growing economy driven by “good governance” resonated in the “ituloy ang Daang Matuwid” electoral campaign. That the elections are just a day away and that the term of Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III is nearing its end are opportune moments to review […]

Has PhilHealth, the country’s so-called universal health care program, benefited the Filipino people?

April 24, 2016

#BeyondElections2016 | All the presidential bets vow to continue Philhealth. But has this so-called universal health care program benefited the Filipino people? The 2015 National Government budget for PhilHealth rose to Php39.1 billion from only Php3.5 billion in 2011. It is now said to cover 87% of the entire population as of 2013. Yet, according […]