THE CENTRAL Bank is now issuing polymer-made bills smaller than P1.000. No, not yet in areas outside Metro Manila. The said polymer money bills will be widely circulated starting early next year, according to the Central Bank governor.
The new banknotes which are in P500, P100, and P50 denominations will feature animals and plants endemic to the Philippines.
Good thing for these plants and animals, they are in the money bills. Sorry for many of the Filipino people, they do not even have the money for them to see what animals and plants are there in the paper bills.
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So there is no problem as to the availability of assistance to disadvantage patients’ families seeking assistance from the Malasakit Centers? The main architect of the law that created the center, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go himself announced the good news. Meaning there is no need for patients’ relatives to go to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to secure the needed guarantee letter. The center itself issues the guarantee letter.
In other words there is no truth to claims that the national government is making it hard for Filipino patients in the margin to get assistance by denying the center with the needed funds, especially those Malasakit Centers in areas known bailiwick of opposition to the national leadership like Davao City.
And yes, members of PhilHealth should not also worry to death about reports believed to be emanating from the opposition sector that health benefits to members will be badly affected with the zero allocation from the more than P6 trillion 2025 national budget now waiting signature by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
This zero allocation from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of next year is being peddled around as “no budget” for PhiliHealth.
It is actually far from the truth. The Philihealth budget has several sources already provided in the law. The health insurance firm of the government gets a percentage from the income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which runs the country’s lottery, and members’ contribution that includes the employer’s share. And there are other sources from which the PhiliHealth budget is derived. What is taken out is only the national government subsidy which is a minuscule of the overall agency budget.
Moreover, what is the subsidy for when billions of pesos from previous years’ subsidies were only invested by scheming Philhealth officials in huge businesses where the returns are not even clearly accounted for?
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The University of the Philippines-Mindanao Campus (UP-Min) is reported gearing itself for the start of its opening of a medical school.
The program was announced lately by no less than the medical director of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Dr. Ricardo Audan. SPMC will be the UP-Min’s partner in the school’s medical education, according to Dr. Audan.
This is one very welcome news for parents desiring to have their children take medicine considering the reputation of the University’s medical college in Metro Manila being tied up with the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Moreover, the medical course at the UP may not be as expensive as it is in private schools in Davao City, or elsewhere in Mindanao. Besides, lately SPMC had been recipients of modern medical equipment and provided with buildings housing the same to treat illnesses where these machines/facilities are intended.
But then again, how long will those planning to take up medicine be waiting for the UP-Min plan to be realized?
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An End-of-Year survey conducted by a research firm calling itself “Pahayag ‘24” revealed that majority of voters support measures aimed at ensuring integrity among candidates and elected officials.
But what about the integrity of voters themselves? How many of the Filipino electorate are not swayed by the weight of money normally used by candidates to win in the elections? And how many of the candidates for certain elective offices win the polls if they stick to their principles and remain true to their intention to have honest and money-free elections?
As the nearest to the mentioned quality – Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto – himself admitted that without money to run a campaign any candidacy is futile.
But at least Sotto has not been reported to engage in buying votes. That would be good enough if his case is replicated in some other local governments.
But again the question of integrity during elections is not just on the candidates. The voters themselves need to be asked whether they also possess the characteristic.
