MANILA – The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) can still operate and pay their employees in 2023 despite a proposed budget for the year lower than what it asked for and its allocation this year, an official said Wednesday.

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“Yun pong hiniling namin na budget sa (Department of Budget and Management) ay P6.2 billion o almost close to P6.2 billion. Ang na-award po sa amin ay P5.9 billion. So merong difference na a little bit over P200 million, na hopefully at ipipetisyon po namin 'yun kasi po 'yun po ay para sa amin sanang ginagawang multispecialty building,” said PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario.

(The budget we asked for from DBM is P6.2 billion or almost close to that. What was awarded was P5.9 billion. There is a difference of over P200 million. Hopefully, we will petition this to be restored because this is for our multispecialty building.)

“Now, doon naman po sa P5.9 billion na ibinigay sa PGH, ito po ay sapat para pambayad sa suweldo ng ating mga healthcare workers, sa mga operating expenses po ng ospital, at yung serbisyo po na ibibigay natin sa mga pasyente nating mangangailangan,” he added.

(Now, the P5.9 billion is enough to pay our healthcare workers, our operating expenses, and our services for our patients.)

Health workers have previously said that the proposed budget for the hospital in 2023 is "unacceptable" and "worrying".

ALL UP Workers Union-Manila/PGH president Karen Faurillo has said that the country's biggest COVID-19 referral facility needs more funding as the country transitions to the new normal.

The PGH has a P6.3 billion allocation this year.

Marikina 2nd Dist. Rep. Stella Quimbo, Senior Vice-Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has said there is a chance for the proposed 2023 budget of PGH to increase, depending on the outcome of the hearings, as she recalled that the hospital's 2022 allocation is 4.7 percent higher than what was initially proposed.

- with report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

--TeleRadyo, 7 September 2022