P7.7-B RH fund ‘guaranteed’ in 2012 budget — Sotto

The controversial reproductive health (RH) bill has already received funding under the proposed P1.816-trillion national budget for next year amounting to P7.7 billion.

The allocation, however, will only be able to service half of the targeted “beneficiaries,” senators were told.

During the Senate’s marathon deliberations of the proposed general appropriation act (GAA) for 2012, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III noted an allocation of P2.5 billion or an increase of P1.7 billion in the current budget for Department of Health’s (DoH) family health and responsible parenting programs and P300 million for procurement of contraceptives.

Under the Maternal Newborn Child Health Nutrition (MNCHN) program, the P300 million has been itemized as its “commodities” or family planning supplies, depending on the need of the requesting local government units (LGUs), whether in the form of condoms or other artificial contraceptives.

“In the RH bill, these supplies are defined and I think it includes condoms, contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectibles and others what

they call safe and effective. I cannot remember the adjectives that they have used. There is a broad definition of what they call these family planning supplies,” Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said in interjecting in the floor discussions.

“In the RH bill they call it ‘essential medicines,’” Sotto said.

The majority leader stressed this is a confirmation of his earlier assertions that the DoH has already an existing RH programs.

“Now if my math serves me right, then the sponsor may correct me if I’m wrong, the sponsor is proposing to allocate in all an aggragate amount of P7.7 billion to be spent on services which are interrelated with the RH bill, is that not correct?” Sotto asked Sen. Franklin Drilon, chairman of the finance committee and the one defending the budget bill.

Drilon answered in the affirmative, adding “at this point, it is just a bill so it is not material.”

But Sotto, who has been opposing the RH bill, would not accept such explanation, pointing out the explanation of the proponents that without its passage, Filipino women will be deprived of reproductive health services.

Drilon then said the appropriation will only cover 50 percent of the very poor sector of the society.

“There are 5.3 million who belong to the lowest quintile and another 5.2 million households in the next 20 percent. We are talking here is about 5.2 million households. These families belonging to these two categories earn less than P6,000 a month per family,” Drilon said.

“Why is there bias for the other 50 percent? Why will we not serve them?” Sotto asked.

“It is not a bias against the other 50 percent. It is just the lack of funds that would dictate that the services be limited to 50 percent,” Drilon replied. –Angie M. Rosales, Daily Tribune