Health Agenda of the 2010 Philippine Presidential Candidates
On the Public Health Agenda and Universal Health Care
Aquino
Transformational Leadership
- Moving healthcare from being an
area where patronage politics plays
the game into one that recognizes
that government needs to protect
and advance public health,
including responsible parenthood as
a corner stone of governance.
Priorities in improving public health
care:
- Greater cooperation between the
DOH, as the provider, and
PhilHealth, to become a more active
provider of resources for DOH to
accomplish the same
- Re-engineering of medical schools
for preventive health care
Health Insurance for all:
- vowed to establish a “holistic and
comprehensive” public health
care system”
- Pledges to ensure that every Filipino
will have access to Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation cards and
services. *Philippine law states that
PhilHealth should have covered
100% of Filipinos by this year (2010)
but only 38% are.
- Noynoy Aquino pledges to:
1. Build 22,000 more barangay
health stations;
2. 3,000 more outpatient rural
health units;
3. 150 more district hospitals
4. Increase health budget by 5%
5. Full implementation of Magna
Carta for public health workers.
Will fast-track implementation of
Cheaper Medicines Act
*FOR Universal Health Care
Source: http://www.thepoc.net/blogwatch-
features/5049-noynoy-aquino-platform.html
De Los Reyes
- PLATFORM of GOOD
GOVERNANCE: Accord high
priority to projects and programs
for the underprivileged, the
indigenous peoples, the elderly, the
prisoners, the disabled, the
veterans and the youth, and
support non-government
organizations or communities
whose projects directly benefit the
poor.
Estrada Gordon
No information available Priorities in improving public health
care.
- Increase government budget for
health and education through Health
and Education Acceleration
Program (HEAP)
- Raise the salaries of healthcare
providers (i.e. doctors to P50,000;
nurses to P25,000; BHWs to P3,000)
provided they will work and serve in
the provinces. Funding will come
from tax from text messaging.
- Upgrade barangay health centers
and government hospitals
- Modernize our public health system
and provide health insurance for
every citizen
- Prioritize the diseases of the poor
e.g. TB, and other communicable
diseases
- Give special focus on emergency
care and provide facilities for this
- Considers primary/preventive
health care important. In attaining
this, there should be involvement of
the school, health education of
mothers, assurance of nutrition and
provision of livelihood
- Deploy public health managers to
underserved Philippine areas in
order to attain the abovementioned
goals related to primary health care
- increase taxes on cigarettes i.e.
standardize the taxes of cheap and
the more expensive cigarettes
- Tap private investors to upgrade
public hospital. “Commercialization is
not bad.” The goal is to increase the
tax base. In order to do so, there
should be an increase in investments
and businesses.
- Encourage private drug
companies to invest here (e.g.
lower tax) in order to further lower
medicine prices and make them
more affordable
- Increase foreign investments so as
to increase livelihood and thus
increase the capability of Juan dela
Cruz to purchase these medicines
- Maximize revenues and services by
eradicating corruption in the
system
*FOR Universal Health Care
Sources:
- Make Health Count Forum, February
10, 2010, PGH
- http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_
release/2010/0329_gordon 1.asp
- http://www.philstar.com/microsite/
election2010/dick-
gordon%20profile.html
Madrigal
- Pro-Filipino health care policy
that eliminates dependence on
expensive imported medicine and
medical equipment, and provides
adequate priority funding for public
health care.
- Development of a fully Filipino
owned and controlled
pharmaceutical industry based
on local medicinal herbs and
making affordably-priced medicine
available to the majority of Filipinos
- Prioritize preventive health care
and ensure adequate and much
higher pay for public health care
workers and adequate public
funding for public health facilities in
line with the WHO standard of 5%
of Gross National Product (GNP). It
will fund this thrust by channeling
funds away from odious foreign
debt payments and unfair trade
payments.
Source:
http://www.election.uwebb.com/the-world-
health-organization-reported-that-the-
country-has-one-of-the-highest-maternal-
mortality-rate-in-asia-proving-that-a-lot-of-
filipinos-still-have-no-access-to-basic-
health-care-compare-these
Perlas
First Pillar: Eradicate Poverty and
Enhance Quality of Life
- Install a nationwide health
insurance system, in cooperation
with business and civil society, that
allows the poor, with a minimal and
easily payable premium fee, access
to preventive medical approaches
as well as primary, secondary, and
tertiary medical treatment.
- Task the Department of Health to
install a nationwide system of
holistic and preventive
approaches to medicine.
- Bundle health and nutrition
services with educational
objectives where appropriate; eg.
breakfast feeding and basic
gardening programs in school.
- Conduct a massive skills-oriented
awareness campaign on
sanitation, nutrition, and
environmental health to lay the
foundations of preventive
approaches to health.
- Mobilize development
partnerships with indigenous well-
drillers, water system engineers,
socially responsible businesses,
community organizers from civil
society to ensure that every
community or family has access to
clean sources of water.
*FOR Universal Health Care
Source:
http://www.election.uwebb.com/the-world-
health-organization-reported-that-the-
country-has-one-of-the-highest-maternal-
mortality-rate-in-asia-proving-that-a-lot-of-
filipinos-still-have-no-access-to-basic-
health-care-compare-these
Teodoro
Health in campaign platform
- encourage political growth in the
provinces and improving
healthcare and education
Universal Health Care
- Cooperatively undertaken between
and among local and national
government, public and private
institutions and the Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation
(PhilHealth)
- may adopt the principles of
micro-insurance, which some
companies and non-governmental
organizations are already offering
on a limited scale
Perception whether the Philippines
is ready to nationalize health
services i.e. similar to UK’s NHS
- The Philippines at this point
cannot afford a tax-based
system (i.e. NHS).
- A dilemma among governments:
which of the following are to be
prioritized: health, education,
peace & order, infrastructure, etc.
- The challenge is how to improve
the economy so that there will be
more allocation for all these
concerns.
On Improving Public Health
Services
- Rationalize our regional hospital
system and make private ventures
into health care attractive to
investors
On increasing the PGH budget
- Donations are not sustainable.
There is instead a need to invest
more on research and
development, medical
technology, as well as provision
for indigent patients.
Preference for centralized or
decentralized health system
Decentralized, but with
centralized management and
supervision. The administration
can expand on PhilHealth for
resources management. LGU can
maximize present situation,
especially with focus to preventive
care. The challenge is to keep
standards up.
*FOR Universal Health Care
Source:
- Make Health Count Forum, January 27,
2010, PGH
- http://www.election.uwebb.com/the-
world-health-organization-reported-
that-the-country-has-one-of-the-
highest-maternal-mortality-rate-in-asia-
proving-that-a-lot-of-filipinos-still-have-
no-access-to-basic-health-care-
compare-these
- http://the-diplomat.com/philippine s-
election-2010/candidate-profiles
Villanueva
- Harness public (national and
local) and private partnerships
to augment limitations of the
national government in the health
budget
- Improved health care financing
strategy will ensure access to
health care for all; free health
care services to indigents
- Priority will also be given to the
Philippine General Hospital.
Through enough funding, its
facilities will be upgraded and its
health professionals will be given
more training to make PGH a
world-class hospital that can
provide services comparable to
that of private hospitals.
- Modernization of tertiary
government hospitals,
especially provincial hospitals
*FOR Universal Health Care,
though not explicitly stated
Source:
http://www.election.uwebb.com/the-world-
health-organization-reported-that-the-
country-has-one-of-the-highest-maternal-
mortality-rate-in-asia-proving-that-a-lot-of-
filipinos-still-have-no-access-to-basic-
health-care-compare-these
Villar
Health agenda
- improvement of basic health
services while developing a
comprehensive health care
system especially for the poor
Priorities in improving public health
care
- Health is crying for reforms. Priority
should also focus on medicines.
Modernize equipment. Free
healthcare to our people.
- Institutionalization of the health
care modernization program
improve the facilities and
equipment in the public hospitals
i.e. Senate Bill 626
PGH-style hospitals
- build modern government hospitals
patterned after the Philippine
General Hospital (PGH) in various
regions of the country that will
cater primarily to the poor
- free services
- fully equipped government
hospitals
- The proposed hospitals will be
constructed on government
properties for fewer expenses,
while funds for hospital equipment,
facilities and salaries of personnel,
could be included in the yearly
budget to be approved by
Congress.
- Incoming Congress should enable
the passage of a standardized
law for doctors, nurses and
other medical personnel for the
proposed government hospitals.
*FOR Universal Health Care,
though not explicitly stated
Sources:
- http://www.pinoygigs.com/
blog/2010/04/manny-villar-platform-of-
government/
- http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?arti
cleid=550135
- http://www.mannyvillar.net/2010/04/villar
-envisions-pgh-style-govt.html
http://francis-
pangilinan.politicalarena.com/manny-
villar/qna/healthcare
On the Reproductive Health Bill and related matters (maternal health, contraception, family planning, overpopulation)
Aquino
- Encouraged the “honing of a moral
conscience", as well as the tapping
of the Church’s participation in
educating the public.
- While the Constitution is clear on the
separation of Church and State, the
state “cannot dictate," but merely
“remind" couples of their
responsibilities
* did not co-author the
Reproductive health bill and does
not fully support the reproductive
health bill in its present form
* Proposes to change Reproductive
Health Bill into “Responsible
Parenthood" Bill
Summary of position on RH bill:
1. He is against abortion;
2. He recognizes that we have a
population explosion;
3. He is in favor of giving couples
the right to choose to manage
their families
4. He believes in cases where
the couple is too poor or
disadvantaged or in no
position to make an informed
decision, the state must take
responsibility
5. He wants all options to be
equally presented from natural
planning to modern family
methods.
6. He believes that parents
should play a key role in
ensuring that every child they
bring into the world will have the
opportunity to lead good lives
*ANTI – RH bill
De Los Reyes
- Completely opposes RH Bill
- Only advocates responsible
parenthood and natural family
planning
- “The problem with the reproductive
health code is that it is premised on
overpopulation.”
- “The RH bill promotes
promiscuity and infidelity,"
- Contraceptive commodities being
promoted are unsafe for women.
- Disapproves of sex education in
schools, particularly the modules
being distributed by the Department
of Education (DepEd), which “seem
to be teaching" students how to use
contraceptives such as condoms
and pills.
- Concerned about safety of the
chemical and mechanical
commodities being introduced by
the RH Bill
- Does not agree that government
should spend more to declare
contraceptives as essential
medicines
- Sex education is a parent’s
responsibility.
*ANTI – RH bill
Source :
http://ph.politicalarena.com/issues
Estrada
- Believes that uncontrolled
population growth is a source of
poverty
- concentrate on giving the women
the free choice and promote family
planning -- modern family planning
and natural family planning -- to
prevent unwanted pregnancies
- Assures that an Estrada
Administration will support the
passage of the Reproductive
Health Bill and work towards
fulfilling our country’s commitment
to the Millennium Development
Goal of achieving universal access
to reproductive health by 2015.
*PRO – RH bill
Sources:
http://erap.ph/409/about-erap/
http://ph.politicalarena.com/issues
Gordon Madrigal Perlas Teodoro Villanueva Villar
- Responsible and safe family - “Choices by spouses on family - “Reproductive health debate should - Population is a crucial issue e.g. - Ensures that there will be enough - “…a huge population is not
planning. Free choice. No planning methods should be be seen in the context of the adequate employment, habitable budget to provide health centers necessarily the problem. It is the
abortion. Quality population. respected.” broader unjust socio-economic areas in the Philippines are around the country with services competence in managing the
- There should be a clear separation - “Abortion as a means of either structures that force human beings, dwindling capable of providing advice on a economy."
of church and state at this particular population control or attempts at especially the poor, into using - Need to support the moral choice wide range of safe and acceptable - “Against it only because I believe it
point. escaping poverty should be totally questionable reproductive-related to be given rather than fight over a family planning services should not be put into law. Bahala
- The aim is to have a quality discredited and prevented.” practices.” bill; however, the government - Uphold “the rule of God above na ang tao kung ano gusto nila
population. Population is not a - Believes that Reproductive health bill should provide resources anything else." gawin. I always view population
hindrance to development. Source : which is closely associated with supporting that moral choice. not as a liability. To me, if the
- Need to attract investments and http://ph.politicalarena.com/issues social injustice needs further - The government should be *ANTI – RH bill country is managed well, in a-
to provide opportunities for the refinement neutral. competent manner, in fact a big
population. - Against abortion but open to - Solution to over-population in urban Source : population would be a way in which
- Reproductive health in the country different types of contraceptives, areas: http://ph.politicalarena.com/issues we could be a great nation.”
should be pro-choice, but it should education and support to ease down o adequate education on -
not include abortion. The choice of the problems of population pressure contraception choices (by the *ANTI – RH bill
the couple should be supported by - “The present vague language of moral guardians);
the government. It is the the Reproductive Health bill should o providing jobs in the Sources:
government’s role to protect and be rewritten to reflect this broad provinces and developing the - http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?arti
promote the safety and health of the societal consensus against abortion. rural areas cleid=550135
citizens These should be balanced by o providing basic peace and
- It is each one’s job to contribute to language on the sacredness of the order in the provinces
the country and not just take from it. reproductive act and the human - Response to increase of HIV-
- Suggests that all health life that results from it” infected individuals:
professionals be utilized to assist in - Legislators must make a final round o Set up a network for
the country side and to go on a of genuine and respectful counseling, prevention,
massive education campaign so that consultations with religious groups cure
mothers can be prepared before and other civil society formations o Advertise clinics and assure
pregnancy patient confidentiality
*Supports Refining of RH bill o Provide sex education
*PRO – RH bill, but with some through DepEd, but adjust the
amendments Source : social nuances to eradicate
http://ph.politicalarena.com/issues sensitivity issues.
Source: *ANTI – RH bill
- Make Health Count Forum, February
10, 2010, PGH Source:
- Make Health Count Forum, January 27,
2010, PGH