(Eagle News)–Senator JV Ejercito hailed the recent passage of the P3.757-trillion national budget in the bicameral conference committee, describing it as “pro-health.”
In a statement, Ejercito said the national budget “carries the funds for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, or HFEP, and Human Resource for Health Development (HRHD), both under the budget of the DOH (Department of Health).”
According to Ejercito, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, he “fought for the restoration of the more than Php16-billion HFEP budget and the almost Php8-billion HRHD allocation into the national budget after they had been slashed…”
He said the more than Php16-billion HFEP budget will be used for the “improvement, upgrade, and expansion of gov’t hospitals and health facilities, some are nearing completion already, and for their equipment.”
He said another Php7 billion for the HRHD would fund the increased income for health workers, nurses, midwives, and doctors.
“I’m happy for our people because of the return of the HFEP and HRHD funds,” Ejercito said.
Earlier, Senator Panfilo Lacson expressed dismay over the passage of the national budget in the bicameral conference committee, saying it was laden with “pork.”
He has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the budget.