MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) recommended a budget of PHP73.99 billion for the Covid-19 response in 2022, but only PHP19.68 billion was granted by the Department of Budget and Management, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duque said during the House appropriations committee’s hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the DOH, that the 73-percent budget cut for the agency’s Covid-19 response next year would affect allocations for allowances and benefits for health workers, such as hazard pay, special risk allowance, and meals, among others.
“The budget we proposed last June to the DBM was actually PHP73.99 billion and the breakdown of that would be for the actual hazard duty pay, the SRA, the meals, accommodation and transportation, and life insurance,” Duque said.
The budget cut, according to Duque, could be related to the presumption that herd immunity will be attained by next year.
“Assuming that there will be about 500,000 to 600,000 doses jabbed per day, the conservative estimate is, we might be able to achieve herd immunity sometime,” he said. “[It can be achieved around the] second month of the first quarter of 2022,” Duque said.
To accomplish population protection by the end of the year, the government planned to vaccinate up to 70 million individuals.
By the end of the year, it had changed its goal from inoculating 50 to 60% of the population with a concentration in Metro Manila, two other cities, and six provinces.
As of September 1, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reported that the country had administered a total of 34,112,320 Covid-19 vaccines.
Of this number, 14,109,916 or 18.29 percent of the target population are completely vaccinated.
A total of PHP242.22 billion will be allocated to the Department of Health in 2022.
