Yap Pleads Senate To Re-nationalize Benguet General Hospital

BAGUIO CITY (May 24, 2021)— Benguet caretaker congressman Eric Go Yap is pleading before the Senate to immediately pass the Benguet General Hospital Renationalization Bill.

Thursday last week,  HB 6849 along with other local health bills, was sponsored by Senator Lawrence “Bong” Go for approval on Second Reading.

Go’s measures however, were not approved due to issues raised by Minority Leader, Senator Franklin Drilon.

“It is very disappointing and heartbreaking,”. Rep. Yap said, as he went to the BeGH Saturday morning for a test and healthcare workers were asking: ‘Cong, paano na? May pag-asa pa ba? Hindi ba nila tayo nakikita?’

Halos madurog ang puso ko sa narinig ko,” Yap said.

“One of the issues being raised is that the health service delivery is a devolved function and that the approval of HBN 6849 would add financial burden to the national government instead of the local government carrying the load,” Yap narrrated.

“When we say it is devolved, are we saying that it is cast in stone? That we cannot undo it? That is exactly why we are subjecting it to the legislative process and it is well within our powers to amend laws, to make things right.

Tama bang basta sabihin na lang na huwag na kasi devolved naman na yan? When health was devolved to LGUs, pareho ba ang estado ng mga local government?

Pantay pantay ba ng financial capacity? Kasama bang bumaba sa function ang pondo para sa devolution? Pero ang presyo ng gamot, ng mga hospital equipment, at ng maraming pang ibang gastusin para sa ospital, pareho lang. Pareho ng gastos pero hindi pareho ang capacity.

Kaya maraming probinsya talaga ang hirap na hirap umangat,” the lawmaker stressed.

“This bill will not only benefit Benguet, but also our neighbors in the Cordillera. We have been deprived far too long, we do not have local income like other provinces and big cities. We may not see another chance like this again to fix the system. Yung subsidy ng probinsya sa hospital, mas magagamit sana namin sa pagpapagawa ng mga bagong kalsada para mapadali ang biyahe ng mga gulay namin papunta sa trading centers at tataas ang kita ng mga magsasaka. There will be a domino effect. But right now, we are at the mercy of few people,” Yap added.

Senate suspended the consideration of the measure and is expected to resume deliberations of the local hospital bills Tuesday.

“Senator Drilon, I would like to invite you here in Benguet. You are welcome to see what I am talking about.  Leave the comforts of your home and help us. If you can’t find any reason in your books to support this bill, I pray that God will help you find a reason in your conscience and in your heart to make take this humanitarian step. We can’t watch another healthworker leave because of low morale. We can’t see another person dying because we don’t have sufficient equipment. We can’t afford to refuse patients who traveled far because we don’t have hospital beds available,” Yap appealed.

Senator Go, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, is expected to sponsor HBN 6849 again Tuesday.

“We thank our Senator Bong Go for his malasakit and perseverance in sponsoring our measure. We will rally behind you. We thank you for going out of your way to check on our situation in the ground,” Yap said.

Artemio A. Dumlao