DBM chief says budget vs COVID-19 spread out in various departments, not just DOH

October 13, 2020

Budget Secretary Weldel Avisado said on Tuesday that the budget on government's efforts against coronavirus disease is spread out in various departments and need not be placed at the Department of Health alone.

The Budget chief made the explanation amid concerns over the lower proposed budget for the Department of Health for next year.

"What I can say is, it may be inaccurate to say that the (healthcare system) is underfunded because the truth is, if we are going to look at the entire (budget), it's not only the Department of Health which has program for COVID," he said.

He said that in the proposed budget for next year, P838.4 billion of it has been "COVID-19 tagged projects."

"It's in all departments, including the judiciary," he said.

Avisado said the various government agencies have their respective programs and projects related to COVID-19 response.

Some lawmakers wondered why the proposed budget for DOH in the 2021 was cut by over 10 percent to only about P131 billion compared to the current year's allocation. Celerina Monte/DMS