Solon wants health, social services reverted to nat'l gov't

MANILA, Philippines - A legislator has filed a bill in Congress, which seeks to return the responsibility of providing health and social welfare services to the national government.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Magnolia Rosa Antonino-Nadres said many local government units cannot cope with the rising cost of health care and social services for their constituentsconstituentHouse Bill 3759 sought the re-nationalization of health and social services, which have been devolved to LGUs by virtue of Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, Nadres said.

"The sorry state of health and social welfare services in many LGUs throughout the country has endangered the lives of countless Filipinos particularly those in the far-flung areas," she said.

"However, the inability of many LGUs to give sufficient funding to devolved hospitals has caused untoward sufferings to our poor patients," added Nadres, a vice chairperson of the House committees on poverty alleviation, agrarian reform, basic education and culture, and inter-parliamentary relations and diplomacy.

More than two decades after the passage of RA 7160, she said many LGUs have been persistently clamoring for the reversion of their devolved functions and responsibilities, specifically health care and social welfare services, to the national government.

She said many experts in local governance share the view that for the decentralization policy to succeed, the devolution of powers to LGUs must be accompanied by financial support from the national government.

"It is therefore apparent that the 40 percent share of LGUs from national internal revenue taxes are not sufficient enough to shoulder the cost of devolved functions and responsibilities, particularly those LGUs which belong to lower income classifications," said Antonino-Nadres.

To revert to the national government the discharge of health and social welfare services, the bill seeks to repeal the following portions of RA 7160: Subparagraph (ii) of Section 17 (b) (1); Subparagraphs (iii) and (iv) of Section 17 (b) (2); Subparagraph (viii) of Section 17 (b) (2); Subparagraphs (iv) and (v) of Section 17 (b) (3); Title Five of Book 1, which includes Sections 102 to 105; and Article Eight of Title Five, Book III, which includes Section 478.

The bill also seeks the amendment of Subparagraph (viii) of Section 17 (b) (2) to read as follows "Infrastructure facilities intended primarily to service the needs of the residents of the municipality and which are funded out of municipal funds including but not limited to, municipal roads and bridges; school buildings and other facilities for public elementary and secondary schools; communal irrigation, small water impounding projects and other similar projects; fish ports; artesian wells, spring development, rainwater collectors and water supply systems; seawalls, dikes, drainage and sewerage, and flood control; traffic signals and road signs; and similar facilities."

The bill provides that all references in the other provisions of RA 7160 to "local health board" shall be changed to "local sanggunian."

It also provides that the Secretary of the Department of Health, in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the proposal once it becomes a law.