Reinier Ramones, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-social"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nhx-F9eUt0E" width="510"></iframe></figure>MANILA - Senator Loren Legarda on Monday clarified that funds for contraceptives are still intact despite the supposed P1-billion cut from the Health Department&#x27;s 2016 budget.Speaking on ANC&#x27;s Headstart, Legarda explained that the budget cut shall not affect the government&#x27;s family health program as the DOH still has unused funds from 2015 to fill the slashed allocation.She said that a P1.2 billion budget for family health commodities from the last quarter of 2015 will be implemented in 2016, adding that another P2.2 billion budget for the program is also available for use this year.&quot;There&#x27;s a P2.2 billion budget for this year. It is not zero. May P2.2 billion for family health under the heading procurement of medicines, vaccines, and commodities,&quot; Legarda said.&quot;There are more than one billion funds to cover for the 1 billion cut which was used to augment other agencies like even medical assistance to indigents, state universities and colleges, social pension for senior citizens, etcetera,&quot; she added.The senator also defended the budget cut, saying the realignment of allocations was well-thought-out and even considered the efficient utilization of budget allotments per agency.“So before anything is cut, we make sure that the program is not adversely affected. I would not allow that to happen in fact Secretary Garin understands it,” she said.&quot;Mawawalan ba ng pambili ng condom at pills sa 2016? Hindi po. Sapat ba ang pupuno ng budget sa P1-billion cut? Opo. Saan po manggagaling? Sa last quarter last year na mayroong P1.2 billion na magagmit this year, sa P2.2 billion this year under the family health program, sa projected P8.8 billion of 2015 na maaaring gamitin for this year, at &#x27;yung mga na-procure last year na hindi pa na-iimplement,&quot; Legarda added.Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, also dismissed allegations of deceit over the budget cut made in the bicameral conference.Senator Pia Cayetano, one of the principal sponsors of the Reproductive Health Law, earlier claimed that the &quot;advocates were deceived&quot; when her colleagues allegedly did not report the changes in the DOH budget during the bicameral conference.&quot;I did my job as chairman of the Committee on Finance with the whole technical staff of the Senate. And from the beginning of time that I know the senators who chaired the finance committee, the format of the bicameral conference committee -- where the departments had the budgets, increase, decrease, and then the next change -- it was there. And inside the special provision, it was also there that there was a cut in the DOH budget,&quot; Legarda said.READ: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/v1/01/14/16/rh-law-advocates-deceived-by-p1b-budget-cut-for-family-planning">&#x27;RH law advocates deceived by P1B budget cut for family planning&#x27;</a>

Senator Loren Legarda on Monday clarified that funds for contraceptives are still intact despite the supposed P1-billion cut from the Health Department's 2016 budget.

Legarda: Budget for contraceptives available despite DOH cut

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Legarda: Budget for contraceptives available despite DOH cut

Reinier Ramones,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 18, 2016 12:05 PM PHT

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