Press Release
August 21, 2009

ANGARA: ENACT LAWS ON HEALTH CARE,
IMPROVE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Senator Edgardo J. Angara is urging the Senate to approve bills he proposed on many of the country's health care issues. He recently has expressed concern for the deteriorating health of many Filipinos, particularly attributing the condition to poor hygiene habits and lack of access to proper health care.

"The Constitution mandates for the protection and promotion of the Filipinos' right to health," stresses Angara, who chairs the Congressional Committee on Science and Technology and Engineering. He adds, "It is just as vital for us to maintain an efficient health care system as it is for them to take care of themselves; after all, we in the legislation are responsible for the governing rules that are of significant impact on people's health and lives."

Among the other legislations Angara has filed are:

o   SBN-3087 ensures early diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in the country, and to
     establish a research initiatives and resource generation efforts among relevant agencies of
     government and the private sector for improving the quality of life of patients.

o   SBN-2592 develops a network of health researchers and research organizations; secures
     sustainable research funding on health; ensures public access to information; utilizes research
     results in the form of products, technologies, programs and services.

o   SBN-2010 aims to strengthen the capability of the PhilHealth for more effective implementation
     of the National Health Insurance Program against fraud and forgery and defines and increases
     existing offenses, abuses and unethical practices in the program.

o   SBN-865 (Dental Unit in Every Rural Health Unit) creates for and allocates funding of dental
     units in rural health centers.

o   SBN-873 authorizes government hospitals to utilize its income for their operations and capital
     outlay, and be allowed to retain their permanent income without the need to propose its
     inclusion in the annual GAA.

o   SBN-218 (the Children's Health Insurance Program) amends RA7875 and RA9241 to
     institutionalize a health insurance program for children of poor families.

During the AH1N1 virus scare earlier this year particularly in the country, Angara stressed that governments' stimulus packages might not be enough to combat such ramifications, hence the need for a stable system to cushion unforeseeable events such as infection pandemics, calamities and diseases outbreaks.

One way of taking such issues head on is through the National TeleHealth System that Angara introduced. In the 2009 National Budget, he allocated P100 million for a National Telehealth System as part of the government's stimulus package to provide a venue for information-sharing among health professionals, which is necessary to determine symptoms of swine flu and later on, similar outbreaks. This, he stressed, would enable Manila's experts to provide diagnosis to far-flung provinces at real-time effect.

Angara is also encouraging experts in medical and research fields to come up with more programs and studies that can aid the government in its efforts to alleviate the people, especially the rural poor, from poor access to proper, affordable and effective health care system.

"We are working very closely on developing strategies to combat our looming health care problem, and one step to achieve this is to call on the Congress to increase our appropriation for the health sector," relates Angara. In a keynote speech he delivered in UP Manila-PGH, he emphasized the need for increased appropriation in the national budget to develop the country's emergency medicine capability as the country faces the havoc of natural and man-made disasters.

With the advent of the deliberation of the 2010 budget, Angara is eyeing for more funding for health and research institutes to better equip the country with preparatory and preventive measures. He noted, alluding the swine flu outbreak, the need to invest in public health infrastructure, both to prevent and battle infectious diseases and to provide access to our people. Further, he cited the need for concerted cooperation among health units all over the country, so that they can readily detect and deliver swift and quality treatment to patients.

Although, he offers some good news: "It is comforting to know that our country is already on second stage-that of developing emergency systems-but we must aspire to reach the third: a mature emergency system that can fully achieve effective emergency medicine to address unanticipated needs, especially in the countryside."

Angara is the father of the PhilHealth Act, which institutionalized the county's insurance system in the country; and the Senior Citizens' Act and its succeeding amendments, ensuring the provision particularly of social security and health benefits to senior citizens-both part of his concerted efforts to assist Filipinos in defraying costs of health care in the country.

He concludes, "Especially in times of dire need and critical conditions, people are more conscious of their spending and to some extent, complacent of their health if only to cut back on their household costs. It is then our moral obligation to provide for means that can greatly help minimize their health issues and for us in the government to facilitate expedited response."

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