Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Saturday pushed for a bigger Department of Health (DOH) budget to establish more super health centers and upgrade existing ones nationwide.
Villafuerte, senior vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, said a higher outlay in the proposed 2025 DOH budget plan is needed for priority initiatives — notably its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).
In a statement issued during Congress’s 2025 budget season, Villafuerte said a higher HFEP allotment next year will ensure that local governments running these public clinics have sufficient funds to acquire top-grade medical equipment and pay the salaries of doctors, nurses, and other staff in these facilities.
“This will prevent existing and future super health centers from becoming empty, grass-filled structures that at times end up being used only for card games and drinking sessions,” Villafuerte said.
The House of Representatives has started plenary discussions on the proposed General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2025, in line with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez’s goal of wrapping up the chamber’s deliberations on next year’s national budget bill by September 25.
Villafuerte, who is the majority leader of the Commission on Appointments, recalled that during the panel’s hearing on the appointment of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, the latter agreed with him on the need for HFAP reforms to improve the delivery of healthcare services to the public. According to the lawmaker, such proposed reforms include enabling the government to purchase equipment for these super health centers that is of better quality but not the cheapest ones offered by bidders.
Super health centers are improved versions of rural health units and medium-type versions of polyclinics, meant to decongest hospitals, especially in the regions.
