Joselito Malig

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The 2026 National Budget will not fund new health facilities until existing uncompleted health infrastructure projects are finished first, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday.&quot;So this coming 2026, ang iniisip ko for the move forward with the HFEP (Health Facilities Enhancement Program), wala munang mga new super health centers, new rural health centers. Taposin na muna natin lahat ng mga uncompleted,&quot; Gatchalian said during the Department of Public Works and Highways budget briefing on Monday.&quot;Lagyan ng tao yung mga unoperational. At yung mga hospitals. Maraming time we approve here in the Senate yung mga hospitals. Expansion and newly created. Let&#x27;s fund those expansion and newly created hospitals. Dahil may batas, wala namang pondo. So we have to fund them. So yung muna, yung naiisip ko to move forward with this. So para hindi nanganganak yung problema,” he added.&quot;Iyan ang isang malaking problema rin ng Department of Health through HFEP. Yung health equipment and facilities. Dahil dapat, bago sila nagpatayo, meron ng coordination with the local government units. Dahil yung LGU, sila bahala sa doktor, nurse, equipment, at yung pang day-to-day to operate. Like for example, kuryente, tubig,&quot; he said. &quot;But marami rin mga LGU nagsasabi na, eh hindi namin kaya magkumuha ng doktor, hindi namin kaya magbayad ng kuryente. Kaya naano rin sila na walang nagmamando ng mga health centers. &quot; Gatchalian added. &quot;DPWH in fairness is just constructing. Kung ano pinakonstruct, kukonstruct. Pero yung operating DOH, malaking problema rin yan sa DOH right now. That&#x27;s why we have to look at the HFEP funds which is about 14 billion very closely. Dahil nasasayang maraming pondo doon, unfinished hospitals, unfinished rural health centers, unoccupied super health centers,” he added.&quot;Nasasayang lang yung pondo natin sa health,” Gatchalian said.Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency is committed to working with the Department of Health on this.&quot;On the super health centers or the hospitals, ang commitment naman po namin is we will work with DOH to ensure naman yung mga hospital at mga healthcare centers na bitin. No, yung pong sinasabi ni Senator Loren na nakausli yung mga bakal, hindi pa tapos. Kailangan po tapusin na. No, finally. And we really welcome the policy now po na wala mo nang new, tapusin muna natin yung mga hindi pa tapos, and then DOH can ensure that they are operated properly,&quot; he said.

The 2026 national budget will not fund new health facilities until existing uncompleted health infrastructure projects are finished first, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday.

The 2026 national budget will not fund new health facilities until existing uncompleted health infrastructure projects are finished first, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday.

Gatchalian: No new health facilities until unfinished projects are done

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Gatchalian: No new health facilities until unfinished projects are done

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 27, 2025 11:45 PM PHT

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Senate

health infrastructure projects

HFEP

Senate Finance Committee

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