SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is seeking a clear reform agenda from the Department of Health (DOH), particularly its plans to ensure that billions of pesos in public health spending translate into measurable improvements for Filipinos’ heath.
Cayetano submitted a set of questions to the Senate Committee on Finance chairman, Sen. JV Ejercito, on Sept. 4, as the Senate began deliberations on the Department of Health’s proposed P264-billion budget for 2027.
He asked the DOH, under Secretary Edwin Mercado, to outline its strategic direction and reforms, including measures to ensure that health expenditures advance the constitutional right to health and improve public well-being.
“The national health budget is more than an accounting of appropriations,” Cayetano said, stressing that it should reflect the government’s fulfillment of its duty to protect and promote the health of every Filipino.
He pressed the DOH to explain why stunting prevalence has increased despite commitments made during previous budget hearings and to identify what it plans to do differently under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023–2028.
He also sought specific targets, measurable outcomes and accountability mechanisms for anti-stunting interventions.
Cayetano is the author of Senate Bill 416, or the proposed Anti-Stunting Action Plan Act, which calls for a high-level council to coordinate a whole-of-government response and the appointment of an anti-stunting czar.
He also sought a complete inventory and status report on vaccine procurement and delivery from 2022 to the present, following previous concerns over delayed deliveries.
On primary health care, Cayetano asked the DOH for a timetable to address gaps in facilities and services, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
He likewise requested a report on the distribution and utilization of health infrastructure funds from 2022 to 2026, including allocations under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Cayetano also asked for a comprehensive report on foreign-assisted projects, loans, grants and other financing facilities being implemented by the DOH.
He said the inquiries were intended to strengthen the budget review and help produce a 2027 health budget that is adequately funded, evidence-based and responsive to actual health care needs.
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