Congress asked to re-channel P972.5 B for infra projects to health services
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to re-channel the budget for infrastructure to health services to develop a long-term solution on the spread of the fatal corona virus disease (COVID-19) that has already infected more than 2, 000 with 88 total fatalities in the country.
In a statement, the fisherfolk group argued that instead of allotting a ‘whopping P972.5 billion for infrastructure projects’ under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) program of the administration, the government should ‘realign that huge budget to strengthen the health capacity’ of the country by investing to public health services and programs.
“If there’s a crucial lesson that this health crisis has teaches us, it’s that the government must know its priorities; basic social services including health, above all,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list said that the ‘government being unprepared to the spread of the pandemic throughout the country is a reflection of lack of a comprehensive plan and program to health service,”
“Our country lacks of hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other health workers to attend to patients in case an outbreak arises. The government has been fond of infrastructure projects such as rail ways, road expansions, and other establishments for mixed purpose yet it has not lay out a plan for construction of public hospitals and health facilities. The government’s failure to advance a systematic health care program has left us off guard and vulnerable to deadly diseases such as the COVID-19,” added Hicap.
“We demand that infrastructure funds be transferred to health services for us to develop a long term solution to the spread of the virus, and prepare our country for any other case of diseases in the future,” ended Hicap. ###
