11 months in, DOH only used less than half of 2024 cancer aid funds
MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Health (DOH) has only exhausted less than half of its 2-24 funds dedicated to cancer aid, 11 months into the year.
During the Senate’s budget plenary on Tuesday, the DOH’s budget sponsor Sen. Pia Cayetano was asked about the status of the cancer fund by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III.
“Currently, their utilization is still only at 47% but they have assured us that they will be able to utilize this,” Cayetano said.
Under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, the DOH’s Cancer Assistance Fund is P1,250,000,000. This would mean that the DOH has utilized P58,750,000,000 of the funds so far.
Congress was not able to put a larger amount because it was uncertain how the budget would be utilized, Cayetano explained. Likewise, the DOH’s cancer fund in 2023 also had a low utilization rate.
Asked if there was an issue in information dissemination, Cayetano said no. One of the bottlenecks was the access sites, or the hospitals where people can access this aid.
“They are bound by Commission on Audit rules also, so if a specialty hospital, basically the access sites, basically unliquidated amounts, they will not get the replenishment, and that is quite standard,” Cayetano said.
The fund could only support certain types of cancer, which are the leading cancers in the country.
“I have been informed that we are limiting the types of cancer that we are covering with the cancer assistance funds of the DOH?” Pimentel asked.
Cayetano replied that the DOH’s cancer fund only covers cancers of the breast, childhood, gynecologic, liver, colorectal, adult blood, head and neck, lung, prostate, urinary, bladder and kidney.
The senator said that people with cancer outside these types can avail of the DOH’s Medical Assistance for Indigent Program.
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management has yet to respond to Philstar.com's request for comment on the funds.
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