Aquino: Vote for my allies

COMPLAINTS about the lack of health care services prompted President Benigno Aquino III to call for local leaders who are not only competent but also allied with the administration. “Hindi po tayo naghuhugas ng kamay pero pagkakaintindi ko yang hospital na yan ay enrolled, ibig sabihin po hindi na responsibilidad ng National Government (I am not washing my hands of this matter, but my understanding is that the hospital is enrolled in a state insurance program, and is not the responsibility of the National Government),” Aquino told more than 10,000 people in a coliseum in Bogo City during his visit last Friday. The Severo Verallo Memorial Hospital in Barangay Taytayan, Bogo City is one of 16 district hospitals directly managed by the Provincial Government since 1992. Legislators allied with suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, however, have blamed the interim local administration for delays or denials of service in some district hospitals. Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale was designated as acting governor effective last Dec. 19, when Garcia’s six-month suspension began. (See related story, A1)
Long trip
“Ang balita ko, kailangan pang bumiyahe ng tatlong oras ng mga taga Bogo para dalhin ang may sakit sa Vicente Sotto sa Cebu City (I have heard that residents of Bogo have to travel three hours to bring their patients to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City),” Aquino told his audience.
The Sotto facility in Cebu City, which remains under the Department of Health, is 101.7 kilometers from Bogo.
“Matagal na raw pong pinababayaan diumano ng Provincial Government ang Verallo Hospital (I have also heard that the Provincial
Government has not been taking care of the Verallo Hospital),” Aquino added.
Bogo is the political bailiwick of Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., the former congressman who challenged Gwendolyn Garcia for the governorship in 2004. Garcia won.
Martinez is currently a member of the Liberal Party (LP) and is its chairman in the fourth district, one of three areas in Cebu where President Aquino attended campaign rallies last Friday.
“Pero kung meron tayong kaugnayang mahusay na pamumuno dito sa probinsiya eh madali naman sigurong malusutan ang problemang yan (But if we have a provincial leader who is competent and allied with us, then it would probably be easier to fix that problem),” said Aquino.
Assistance
Aside from managing the upkeep of National Government-run hospitals, the administration is also increasing the coverage of PhilHealth insurance to 86 percent of the population, including “sponsored members” or indigent persons, Aquino said.
“Sisiguraduhin na mula sa pagbakuna, hanggang sa lahat ng gamot, pati sa equipment ay inaayos natin ang buong bansa (We are attending to the country’s health, from vaccinations to medicine and equipment for health care facilities).”
Based on its 2012 socioeconomic profile, Cebu Province has 26 government hospitals. But of the total number, only 16 are district hospitals directly managed by the Capitol.
Nine are government hospitals in other local governments and the cities of Mandaue and Talisay, while the Sotto Center remains with the health department.
Medical assistance from members of Congress, which is funded by their Priority Development Assistance Funds (Pdaf), is usually coursed through the Capitol and released to indigent patients in Capitol-managed hospitals, after complying with requirements. (See related story, A1)
This 2013, with Magpale designated as acting governor, some congressmen like Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu Province, fourth district) stopped coursing their financial/medical assistance through the Capitol. The congressman, for instance, coursed the funds through some local government units.