Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros is urging lawmakers to realign part of the proposed P255 billion flood control budget to address a nationwide shortage of public hospital beds.
The senator said shifting funds could help close the gap of 90,375 beds in public hospitals.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that only 28,153 beds are currently available, far below the 118,528 beds mandated by law.
“The gap is extremely wide. It would be better to give the funds to the Department of Health to help reduce the hospital bed shortage. The overcrowding must stop,” said Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.
She said the realignment would prevent Filipino patients from competing for limited hospital space and improve access to care.
Hontiveros pointed out that flood control projects should not take precedence over urgent health needs when public hospitals remain under-equipped.
“Even with hospital beds, we need a catch-up plan. It’s about time that Filipino patients stop having to compete for space and care,” she said.
According to Hontiveros, programs under the DOH that could benefit from the budget realignment include the Health Facilities Enhancement Program and the provision of medicines and medical assistance to indigent and financially incapacitated patients.
She noted that Malacañang had previously identified these programs as eligible for funding realignment in the 2026 budget.
“Malacañang has already cleared the path. This will not happen if we just let the people’s money be swept away in a flood of corruption while two or more patients are crammed into a single hospital bed,” she said.
The senator pledged to collaborate with colleagues in the Senate to ensure the proposed budget prioritizes health reforms.
“I will make sure our taxes are well spent in exchange for the services that we all deserve,” Hontiveros said.
