DOH forms guidelines to be followed so that health units will get funding

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is setting up guidelines that must be followed before health facilities are alloted funding, Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said on Wednesday.

This movement was told to lawmakers during the House committee on appropriations’ briefing on the proposed budget of the DOH for 2027.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña asked the DOH of its reforms as he noted the flagging of the Commission on Audit on several delayed or unimplemented projects amounting to billions of pesos. 

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Mercado said that the DOH has set up omnibus guidelines for its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

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The HFEP enables government health facilities to provide quality healthcare through allocation of capital outlays for improvement of infrastructure and equipment.

READ: TB medicine supplies may arrive by October, DOH says

Mercado noted that the projects must have proper site conditions, rightful transfer of land title to the proponent, proper design of health centers, commitment of local government units (LGUs) to power up rural health units and healthcare manpower resources. 

“Those are the things we require from them. There are many reasons why we don’t download budget to them even when they are included in the allocation because the LGUs are not ready to comply with site conditions,” he said.

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The DOH is planning to build 176 primary healthcare facilities next year, with a budget of P506 million. 

READ: DOH warns of compromised programs due to possible 2027 budget cut

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There are already 806 super health centers across the country. 241 units are ready for occupancy, where 222 of them are operational while the remaining 19 are non-operational.

224 units are partially completed, where 14 are operational while 210 are non-operational. 

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Mercado mentioned that the non-operational units haven’t completed the requirements to be issued a license from the licensing bureau. /apl