President Marcos through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved Wednesday the P27.92-billion allocation for the “Philippines: Health System Resilience Project” phase one of the Department of Health (DOH).
The program will enhance health emergency prevention, preparedness, and response in vulnerable areas in the country. It also supports the Marcos administration’s vision as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, Malacañang said in a news release.
President Marcos acknowledged the DOH in leading the program, which serves as an “application of lessons learned during the pandemic.” It also helps to recognize the gaps that were identified” during the global health emergency.
“This is good because it is specific to the Philippines. It’s not a general (project)… [It is] even specific to the area,” President Marcos was quoted telling Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who presented the project during the NEDA Board Meeting in Malacañang.
According to the DOH, the project will prioritize areas in the country with poor access to healthcare. The agency already identified 17 provinces for its pilot run.
The program is also geared towards building an enabling environment, project management, monitoring and evaluation, and Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC).
