Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman defended on Tuesday the reported P10-billion slash on the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Health (DOH), saying that it is purely “congressional initiatives.”

Pangandaman told reporters in a press briefing in Malacañang that the reduction in the proposed 2024 budget of the DOH was mostly due to some amendments made by lawmakers.

“Karamihan po, ‘yung ‘pag tapyas po ng budget ng DOH, karamihan po kasi dun puro mga amendments ng Congress po…meaning … congressional initiatives po,” Secretary Pangandaman said.

The budget secretary made the remarks when asked to explain the supposed P10-billion cut in the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget of the DOH for 2024.

Pangandaman also explained that some adjustments were made to DOH’s proposed budget for the necessary increase to its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) and Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP), among others.

The adjustments are non-recurring in nature, according to Secretary Pangandaman. PND