DOH chief: No anomaly in funds for health programs of LGUs

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Enrique Ona denied allegations that there were anomalies in the release of the funds for the family health programs of local government units (LGU). In a press conference on Wednesday, Ona belied Senator Tito Sotto's claims in a privilege speech that some LGUs did not receive the funds allotted to them from 2008 to 2010. Ona said the LGUs that did not receive the budgets for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) programs, may have failed to comply with one of the requirements: liquidating funds from the previous year's family health programs. Ona explained that the DOH national office releases the funds to the regional offices which turn over the funds to provincial health units. He said the release of the family health program budget for LGUs depends on each province's compliance with the requirements of the DOH and the Commission on Audit (COA): the submission of reports on fund utilization and liquidation. Countering Sotto's claims In his privilege speech on Tuesday, Sotto claimed that Ilocos Norte, Quezon, Batangas, and the city of Lucena "did not receive a single centavo" of the MNCHN funds. Ona explained that the Ilocos Norte Provincial Health Office received an allocation of over P644,000 for 2008 and almost P600,000 for 2009. The release of the province's 2010 allocation of about P2.4 million is on hold because the provincial government has yet to submit its report on the province's investment plan for health. Meanwhile, LGUs in Region IV-A, including Quezon, Batangas and Lucena City, are required by local auditors to submit liquidation reports before the funds for the year are released. "COA looks at the liquidation reports," he said. "Ang nangyari dito ay hindi mai-release (ang pondo) unless may approval ng COA. So ang dapat tingnan ngayon, anong nangyari sa pera na nai-release in these provinces in 2008 or 2009?" Ona said the LGUs may not have told Sotto the entire situation when they reported that they have not received their budgets for family health programs. "Wala namang nakitang source of corruption. Gano'n pa man, titingnan pa rin natin kung paano nagamit," he said, adding that the DOH is ready to file corruption charges "if necessary." "Afraid" to use budget for RH? Meanwhile, Ona said some local officials may be "afraid" to use the funds for the MNCHN because the previous administration was unclear about its reproductive health stand. The budget intended for family health programs includes, among others, the purchase of family planning methods like pills and condoms. "This observation of Senator Sotto may be one reason why we should have a responsible parenthood bill, so that the position of the government is clear to everyone," Ona said. The DOH has earlier expressed its support for the Reproductive Health/Responsible Parenthood bill. Ona said these are part of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III's agenda to provide universal health care to every Filipino. Ona assured the public that he will look into the DOH's fund allocations for past years' family health programs, saying that it will help the DOH implement responsible parenthood programs in the coming years. He also said it would be helpful if the public and concerned lawmakers and officials understood the figures and processes first before jumping to any conclusions. "It's also very unfair to right away say that there is corruption just because of certain misinterpretations or misunderstandings on the process of how funds are disbursed or allocated," he said. - VVP, GMA News