BUDGET INTERPELLATION QUESTIONS FOR DOH Notable items / areas in the budget Budget cuts from underperforming agencies in order to fund the health care response; programmed and unprogrammed allocations
Issues
I wish to laud the Committee’s move to slash ₱24 billion from the NTF-ELCAC’s proposed budget for not properly auditing and reporting its outcomes in order to make room for health interventions. We are after all, in the midst of the worst health crisis in our nation’s history.1 However, there remains the issue of programmed and unprogrammed allocations in the DOH budget, particularly the appropriations for health care workers benefits and funding for COVID-19 booster shots.
Questions
If these items remain unprogrammed, how can we guarantee to the Filipino people that these will actually be funded in a timely manner? How can we justify leaving the funding of arguably two of the most crucial components in our pandemic response to the discretion of the Executive branch? Shouldn’t the Senate exercise its Legislative prerogative in this instance?
₱51 billion for HCW benefits:2 -
₱11 billion programmed ₱40 billion unprogrammed
₱61.6 billion for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots:3 -
Vaccine Hesitancy
₱16.2 billion programmed ₱45.3 billion unprogrammed
1. In order to combat vaccine hesitancy, suggestions to withhold all or part of the 4Ps assistance were revived once again. This representation had already spoken out against this proposal. According to data from the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) as of Nov. 2, more than 3 million or
1
May we know how much was the allotment for information dissemination under the DOH budget and the status of its utilization? From the cited observations, how can we be certain of the
https://www.cnn.ph/news/2021/11/9/Senate-cuts-NTF-ELCAC-budget.html Ibid. 3 Ibid. 2
only 23.88 percent of those under the target population of A5 category have been vaccinated4 which led to the DILG to conclude that vaccine hesitancy was to be blamed. The poor have less reason to be preferential of their vaccines given their living and working situations. People in lower income classes tend to reside in cramped living quarters with little to no chance for proper physical distancing. It is also the people from the lower income bracket who usually have to physically report to work and make use of public transportation. If they were to get sick, they would have little access to financial resources to pay for medical bills and treatment. In short, they are more at risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19 compared to the middle and upper-middle income classes.
2. Blaming poor vaccine uptake on vaccine hesitancy places the burden on people to make a positive behavioral change instead of the government to improve their delivery services. Earlier this month, we received reports of reported delays in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program in the Bicol Region. According to our sources, various Local Chief Executives (LCEs) had expressed dismay in the delayed vaccine distribution of the national government to their respective local government units. They assert that while their constituents are more than willing to be inoculated against the COVID-19 virus, there simply aren’t enough supplies emanating from the national government. 4
DILG’s conclusion? What is it about the poor that makes them much more hesitant to take the vaccine compared to the general population if the DILG is to be believed? Why are they being blamed for poor vaccine uptake? Does the DOH have any concrete data on vaccine hesitancy to support this conclusion? And if there exists such vaccine hesitancy among them, shouldn’t the DILG, along with the DOH, be more aggressive in their information drive instead of forcing people under pain of withholding legally guaranteed benefit? If we truly want to encourage more to get vaccinated, why are we resorting to coercion?
Can the DOH validate this observation made by the LCEs? If so, how much of the poor vaccine uptake rate can be attributed to inefficient supply chains? Is improving supply chains to ensure that vaccines reach underserved locations part of the priority in the budget of the DOH’s COVID-19 vaccination program? If so, what improvements can we expect in 2022?
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1510688/ntf-chief-backs-calls-for-mandatory-jabs
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Data submitted to this representation from the NTF Against COVID-19 evidently supports these claims as only 23.19% of the target 4.3 million individuals in the region have been fully vaccinated as of 10 November 2021. This represented the second-worst coverage rate of any region in the Philippines ahead of only the BARMM at 10.12%. In stark contrast, the NCR had already managed to fully vaccinate 91.10% of its target population.5
3. The public’s lack of confidence in the government’s evaluation of the COVID-19 vaccines is likely a major contributor to vaccine hesitancy. In a May 2021 survey, only 51% were confident in the government’s evaluation while 31% were uncertain and 17% were altogether not confident.6
4. Another key driver of vaccine hesitancy is brand preference. To date, the government has relied on a brand agnostic approach founded on the faulty premise that all vaccines are equally effective without providing the necessary data to support its assertions. Even Presidential Daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has insisted that the national government procure Western-made vaccines in lieu of the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines which
5
How is the DOH planning to address public distrust in the government’s vaccine evaluation? What programs are being put in place to improve public trust in terms of the COVID-19 vaccination program? Are these programs properly funded under the proposed 2022 budget?
If the government points to vaccine hesitancy as a driver of poor vaccine uptake, shouldn’t it consider procuring vaccines that the public would actually be willing to take, if available? What is preventing the national government from procuring more trusted vaccine brands?
https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/infographic/03/23/21/philippines-covid-19-vaccinetracker 6 https://www.sws.org.ph/downloads/media_release/pr20210520%20-%20SWR%202021I%20Confidence%20in%20government%20evaluation%20of%20vaccines%20and%20willingness%2 0to%20be%20vaccinated%20(media%20release).pdf
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reportedly have low acceptability in her city.7 Booster Shots
Routine immunization for children in the Philippines
7
According to data provided to this representation by the NTF Against COVID-19, as of 10 November 2021, a total of 66,816,976 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered either as a first or complete dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Out of these, 36,338,077 were given as first doses and 30,478,899 were given as complete doses of COVID19 vaccines.
Considering the continued suspension of face-to-face classes across the country, the annual immunization of children against serious diseases have been greatly affected.
Can the DOH assure us that there are enough doses allocated for those who have yet to receive even one dose of the vaccine? Will there be enough vaccine supply to cover those who have yet to be vaccinated and those who will be receiving their booster shots? May we know the status of DOH’s Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Polio Measles vaccination among children across the country? During the 2021 budget deliberations, this has been an important issue that the agency committed to address considering the pandemic challenges that led to a lower vaccination rate of children in 2020.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1490465/sara-to-iatf-buy-more-western-covid-jabs
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