JV vows P400M for 4 hospitals

CEBU, Philippines — Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito is eyeing a total of P400 million in funding for four hospitals in Cebu as part of his efforts to strengthen the province’s healthcare system and accelerate the full implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC).

Ejercito, in a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, said he intends to seek an initial P100 million each for Danao City Hospital, Cebu City Medical Center, Minglanilla Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

He, however, clarified that the P100 million per hospital is an initial target, with the final amount depending on the government’s fiscal capacity and the outcome of the upcoming budget deliberations.

He said the proposed funding would be used to improve hospital facilities, equipment and healthcare services, particularly to strengthen Cebu’s health service delivery network.

Ejercito said he has been personally visiting hospitals to assess their conditions and determine their actual needs instead of relying solely on reports from government agencies.

“I go around, I visit. I’m practical. I go around,” he said.

He added that seeing the facilities personally allows him to better justify the funding he intends to seek during the budget deliberations.

The proposed hospital assistance is part of Ejercito’s broader effort to improve healthcare services in Cebu, particularly in primary and secondary facilities.

According to him, the government has already invested significantly in specialty healthcare services at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, which, he added, is now capable of providing advanced medical procedures.

Ejercito cited major cardiac procedures and kidney transplantation among the services that can be provided at the facility following years of government investment.

With specialty hospitals being strengthened, Ejercito said the next phase should focus on provincial and local hospitals so patients can receive quality medical services closer to their communities.

He said this would help improve Cebu’s overall service delivery network and prevent patients from having to travel to major referral hospitals for medical needs that can be addressed locally.

On the other hand, Ejercito also disclosed that he had initial discussions with Cebu City officials on the improvement of the long-delayed Cebu City Medical Center.

He said he wants to personally inspect the facility to determine its needs and assess how much support can be provided.

“I see it with my own two eyes,” Ejercito said, explaining that he prefers to personally visit projects rather than rely entirely on reports from the Department of Health and its regional officials.

Apart from hospital infrastructure, Ejercito said he also wants to increase government assistance for hospital bills under the Universal Health Care program.

He said he wants the government subsidy for hospital bills to increase significantly from the current range of around five to 19 percent to as much as 30 to 50 percent.

He also eyes additional funding for the zero-balance or zero-payment hospitalization program for qualified beneficiaries, including employees, senior citizens and indigent patients in UHC hospitals.

Ejercito said the program, which was implemented previously, should be sustained and expanded so that more Filipinos can be hospitalized without worrying about paying their medical bills.

The senator said the country is facing economic difficulties, making it even more important for the government to strengthen social services while pursuing long-term economic growth.

However, Ejercito said he does not believe that Filipinos should be reliant on government financial aid.

“I do not believe in all this depending on ayuda. Gusto ko sustainable,” he said.

He said the government must accelerate economic growth and invest in infrastructure to spread development and create more economic opportunities.

“In the long term, we need to invest in infrastructure to spread growth and development,” Ejercito said.

For Ejercito, sustainable economic growth should eventually reduce people’s dependence on government assistance by creating jobs, improving incomes and expanding opportunities in communities.

He said the healthcare sector must also be part of this long-term development strategy, particularly by ensuring that people can access quality medical services without being pushed deeper into financial hardship.

Ejercito said the upcoming budget season will be crucial in advancing these programs.

He said he intends to work on the proposed health allocations as the budget process gets underway later this month.

As part of his remaining years in the Senate, Ejercito said he wants to fulfill his commitment to fully implement Universal Health Care, which he helped sponsor and advance during his tenure in Congress.

He said the next two years provide an opportunity to further strengthen the country’s healthcare system and ensure that the benefits of UHC reach more Filipinos.

Ejercito also vowed to continue supporting healthcare programs that would benefit communities across Cebu, including residents of island municipalities such as Bantayan and the Camotes Islands. — (FREEMAN)