Just a tiny bit of P1T: Gov’t urged to realign infra budget to repair fire-stricken PGH

By Billy Begas

Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas on Monday urged the government to realign part of the P1.1 trillion Build, Build, Build (BBB) program to repair and replace equipment of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that was gutted by fire on Sunday.

Brosas said under the 2021 national budget, PGH does not have funds to do building and equipment repairs.

“I propose that we realign a portion of the massive BBB budget towards PGH. We cannot afford to leave it paralyzed, as it is one of the largest COVID-19 referral hospitals,” Brosas said.

For this year, the Duterte administration allocated P427 billion in road networks alone, more than twice the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) combined.

“How can we let PGH remain impaired while we continue to build non-essential infrastructure such as redundant roads and road repairs in the time of pandemic? We must persist in correcting the twisted priorities of the 2021 budget,” Brosas added.

She also slammed Malacanang “for merely thanking the inflow of donations to PGH from private groups and individuals while practically standing idly over the hospital fire.”

Brosas the other government hospitals should also additional funding.

She said the realignment of funds to PGH and other hospitals can be included in Bayanihan to Arise As One (Bayanihan 3) being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)