Tinio demands restoration of personnel services and operations budget cuts as well as increase in DOH budget amid worsening staff shortage, overcrowding

ACT Teachers Party-list Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio demanded the restoration of the proposed reductions in the personnel services (PS) and maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of DOH-retained hospitals, as well as a substantial increase in the Department of Health’s 2027 budget, calling the cuts a betrayal of the people’s right to health even as the government touts its Zero Balance Billing program.

During interpellation of the Department of Health’s 2027 budget at the House Committee on Appropriations, Tinio questioned why hospitals suffering from acute shortages of doctors, nurses, and support staff — and heavily dependent on job order and contract-of-service workers — are seeing their personnel services budgets slashed. He noted that Rizal Medical Center’s PS budget was cut by nearly 8%, equivalent to P112 million.

“Kulang na nga ng staff, binabawasan pa. The DOH itself admitted these are unfilled plantilla positions being removed from next year’s budget. That means hospitals will have no opportunity to fill them up during the fiscal year. They keep telling us the total plantilla ‘remains the same’ — may bawas eh, tapos sinasabi walang nabawasan,” Tinio said, demanding a written explanation from the DOH on the nature of these positions and why they remain unfilled, particularly positions in physical therapy, speech therapy, and other special needs services that offer uncompetitive salaries.

The veteran lawmaker called for the restoration of these personnel services cuts and their conversion into filled plantilla positions, saying this is the only way to address the chronic understaffing of public hospitals and end the dependence on precarious job order and contract-of-service workers who receive low pay and no security of tenure.

Tinio also flagged massive cuts to hospital operations budgets, including a half-billion peso reduction at Rizal Memorial Medical Center and a P311-million cut at the National Center for Mental Health. He pointed out that the budget for operations of DOH hospitals in Metro Manila will drop from P30 billion in the 2026 GAA to P26.9 billion — a 10.2% decrease — even though the DOH itself requested P31.7 billion.

“The DOH says the cuts will be recovered through PhilHealth reimbursements and MAIFIP allocations. But reimbursement is not instantaneous. In the meantime, our hospitals will be operating on funds that are insufficient — and patients will suffer. Ang kailangan ng mga ospital, direct na pondo para direktang maibigay ang serbisyo. We oppose this arrangement na mukhang pinagkakasunduan ng DBM at DOH na bawasan ang MOOE ng mga ospital dahil daw may MAIFIP at PhilHealth,” Tinio stressed.

Tinio further blasted the administration’s failure to present a systematic program for expanding the bed capacity of DOH hospitals, which are perennially overcrowded, with wards and emergency rooms spilling over during dengue and leptospirosis surges. While DOH officials offered “efficiencies” and referral schemes as answers, Tinio noted that only 30,000 beds are authorized at present, with a promised expansion to 45,000 by 2028 — a commitment that may be delayed because of cuts to the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

He pointed out that the proposed cuts run counter to the government’s own projections of growing demand for public health services, with more Filipinos expected to rely on public hospitals amid rising costs of living and private health care.

“If the government is serious about Universal Health Care and about Zero Balance Billing, then it must put its money where its mouth is. Instead of cutting the budgets of our public hospitals, we are calling for the restoration of all these reductions and a meaningful increase in the DOH budget — for plantilla positions, hospital operations, and health facilities. Health is a right, not an afterthought,” Tinio said.

“Maganda ang Zero Balance Billing sa papel, pero kung limitado ang kapasidad ng ating mga pampublikong ospital, limitado rin ang makikinabang na mamamayan. Iiwanan lang ng sistema ang ating mga kababayan sa mga pribadong ospital na mas mahal. We will take this up further in the plenary and fight to restore these cuts and push for a bigger budget for health. Bawat pisong ibinawas sa DOH ay bawas sa serbisyong pangkalusugan ng taumbayan, kaya dapat itong ibalik at dagdagan pa ” Tinio ended. ###