Automatic budget increase for health, education
I believe that the annual expenditure for health services and education should increase proportionately to the budget to ensure that they keep up with the annual demands of a growing population.
I would push the concept of indexing specifically as regards to the two important items once I and other members of the opposition gain control of the Senate and House of Representatives after the May 14 elections.
It is a pity that the government is placing more emphasis on other programs at the expense of the health and education of the people.
The country spends only 1 percent of the gross national product on health services, far below the 5 percent recommended by the World Health Organization. As a result there are now more people dying without even seeing a doctor or getting medicine.
The government is equally indifferent to education. The system lacks competent teachers and the textbooks to teach the subjects simply because there is no money for training and for the purchase of teaching materials. The number of classrooms constructed every year, he added, also lags behind the expanding population of schoolchildren.
For many of our people, education, which is supposed to be universal, has become a distant dream. Those who get to finish college lack the necessary skills to compete in the labor market.
To free more money for health and education, the legislature needs to review the law providing for automatic appropriation of the public debt, which is eating up more than 30 percent of the national budget.
We ought to look at a more selective repayment scheme based on our requirements on one hand and our capacity to pay on the other. I’m sure our foreign creditors are willing to give us enough leeway so that we can attend to our national priorities. All we need is to explain our situation.
If that fails the country can always plead its cause before the United Nations and its various agencies.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:59 am
You really should do something about the pork barrel and all those congressional insertions in the DPWH budget.
April 11th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I find this article so interesting. I just graduated last year, 2006, and presently working as a college instructor. Im very idealistic and I really alarmed with the educational system here in the philippines. As a graduate of Economics from the premiere univ., I want to have societal, political, and economic changes here in our country. Can I asked you Sir Chiz what are your concrete plans to improve the educational system of our country? On my point of view, basically the problem lies on the nationa budget as you wrote in this blog that amost 30% goes to payment of foreign debt. I think one way to avoid brain drain particularly good teachers (outflow of labor) is to amend the constitution particularly on the part where foreign capital is so much restricted. If we will let foreign capital (capital inflow) “flow” in our country, then there will be positive effects on the economy.
Increase in capital inflow wil result to rise in foreign investments.
Inc. in investment –> Inc. in employment –> dec. in migration (particulaly brain drain)
An increase in Investment will have great effects in the economy. An increase in Investment (I) Ceteris Paribus will result to Increase in GDP/GNP
Inc. in Investment (I) = Inc. in GDP/GNP
According to Prof. Gerardo Sicat of UP School of Economics, the Philippines have huge labor (L) and capital (K) is the scarcest factor of production. So one way to offset Labor surplus is to Increase capital (through rise in Investment (I)).
I know you will be part of the upper house after the election and I hope that you will have concrete plans in the educ. system of our country.
April 21st, 2007 at 3:31 am
i just graduated last 20th of this month from a government school in a degree of bachelor in nursing. i have been taking my internship in 2 general hospitals near on our school. one is a charity hospital and the other is a semi-private hospital. the ‘charity’ hospital i would say, is not conducive in promoting and giving health. why? poor lights, bed used are all in wreck…evrything is not in good condition actually.. they too are lacking in supplies, that even a cotton, a piece of cotton are provided by the patient or be paid by the patient..
and the very upsetting part on here was corruption is too rampant.
i always caught staff nurses, clinical instructors stealing supplies from the hospitals and even from the patients.. and its depressing that we’re taking advantages on these small-but-trying hard people.. tsk tsk just what is happening now on the government..