DOH: Savings for vaccinations, not RH

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said some P337.5 million in savings earlier earmarked for family planning implants will be used to procure vaccines.

Health Secretary Janette Garin said due to a temporary restraining order (TRO), the department “shifted to the procurement of vaccines for human papilloma virus (HPV).”

The DOH denied yesterday reports that it had some P828 million in unobligated funds in 2015 that could be used to augment the Reproductive Health and Responsible Parenthood Law budget.

According to Garin, only P337.5 million was left and the implants have been bidded out, awarded and delivered, but the supplier had consented to the realignment due to the TRO.

The contraceptive implants were supposed to be included in the DOH’s family planning program but it was petitioned by some groups with the Supreme Court middle of last year. The tribunal granted the petition and issued a TRO.

The P828 million was part of the DOH’s 2015 budget for Family Health and Responsible Parenting program.

The DOH sought the go-signal of the Department of Budget and Management for the realignment of savings but the latter has not responded.

Also included in the P828 million are the P337.5 million for blood pressure (BP) apparatus and P153.8 milion for the immunization program.

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, had earlier claimed that the DOH had projected savings of P8.8 billion in 2015 which can be used to buy contraceptives.

Around P1 billion of the DOH budget for contraceptives for its family planning program and condoms for the HIV/AIDS campaign had been removed during the deliberation of the bicameral committee of the Senate and House.

To cover for this, Garin gave assurance they would be using the P337.5 billion for BP apparatus to acquire contraceptives.

She added they are also looking for foreign partners that could help the DOH.  

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, however, said yesterday that there is enough money for the RH Law, including the procurement of contraceptives.

He gave the assurance after Garin and authors of the RH bill in Congress denounced the P1-billion cut in this year’s RH budget.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who had opposed the RH bill, sponsored the reduction.

“There is enough funding to satisfy the 2016 requirements of the Reproductive Health Law. At the very least, the Department of Health can draw P900 million from a number of fund sources to procure family planning commodities this year,” Abad said in a statement.

He said one source is the “carryover amount of P337.5 million from the 2015 budget for the health department’s Family Health and Responsible Parenting (FHRP) Program, as mentioned by Secretary Garin.”

Another source is the reduced FHRP appropriation of P2.278 billion, from which Abad said the DOH could realign P300 million for family planning commodities.

“Also, the DOH has historically managed to generate savings amounting to 16-17 percent of their budget every year. From 2015 savings, the DOH can source another P300 million, which would complete the P900 million,” he added.

“We at the DBM are always working to ensure there is enough budgetary support for our agencies to properly implement our laws – especially one as important as the RH Law,” the budget chief stressed. With Jess Diaz, Marvin Sy, Prinz Magtulis