A BILL seeking to allot at least 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) towards healthcare spending was filed at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Setting aside at least P1.3 trillion for public health spending could help improve the quality of government hospitals and clinics, helping boost healthcare accessibility nationwide, Party-list Reps. Antonio L. Tinio and Renee Louise M. Co said in the explanatory note of House Bill No. 1973.

Increasing funding for the health sector would also lead to lower out-of-pocket expenses for the hospitalization and medical needs of Filipinos, which currently rank the third highest in Southeast Asia, they added.

Just last week, Malacañang said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is looking to reduce, if not eliminate, the out-of-pocket expense of Filipinos when they are hospitalized.

“The Philippines’ public spending on health, which was about 1.5% of the GDP, was much lower than that of Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, which spent four times more,” they said in the bill.

The measure seeks to amend the 1997 Administrative Code by explicitly citing that 5% of the GDP should be spent on “public health expenditures.”

The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the government to “protect and promote” the right to health, while adopting an “integrated and comprehensive” approach towards health development, Mr. Tinio and Ms. Co said, citing it as the basis for their proposal.

The Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department said in a July report that almost half of Filipinos need to travel more than 30 minutes to access hospitals despite the implementation of the almost two-decade-old Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

Funding could be sourced by diverting “non-productive” government expenditures towards healthcare programs, citing debt servicing, secret funds, and discretionary allocations as potential sources of funds, they said.

“Progressive taxation like a wealth tax on the super-rich, as well as bigger taxes on big corporations can provide the needed additional funds,” they added.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto last year said he is not keen on pushing for a wealth tax, as the Philippines already has enough duties.’

Mr. Tinio and Ms. Co also earlier proposed a measure seeking to set a spending floor of at least 6% for the education sector in a bid to improve the country’s schooling system. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE PHILIPPINES’ legal victory in the 2016 South China Sea (SCS) arbitration case is embedded within the country’s Charter even if the ruling is not explicitly stated, a congressman said on Wednesday.

In a media briefing, Party-list Rep. Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” I. Diokno said that international laws are already part of Philippine law under the 1987 Constitution, cautioning that proposed amendments could open the door to broader, unintended changes.

“Whether Article 1 is amended or not, the arbitral ruling of the arbitral court in The Hague is already part of our law,” he said in Filipino, referring to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in the Netherlands.

“So if that’s our only purpose, what we see as a potential issue is that once the Constitution is opened up for amendment, other provisions might also be changed,” he added.

A lawmaker on Tuesday filed a resolution seeking to amend the Constitution to ease foreign ownership limits in key industries and reinforce the country’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Renee Louise M. Co said that the proposed amendments to the Constitution’s provisions on national territory might be used as bait to entice support for Charter change.

“Let’s not use the West Philippine Sea issue to deceive the public into supporting Charter change,” she said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino, using the Philippines’ designation for parts of the South China Sea within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. “This is clout chasing at its worst.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A RESOLUTION seeking a congressional probe into the environmental impact of the controversial Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach was filed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Filed by Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon, House Resolution No. 56 seeks to determine if the artificial white sand project had an effect on beach nourishment and coastal restoration of Manila Bay.

The inquiry would also assess whether the beach project contributed to flooding in nearby areas and if its cost aligns with similar beach nourishment efforts by the government, he added. It would also aim to determine if officials involved in the project may bear criminal or administrative liabilities.

“We will undertake a full congressional inquiry, determine criminal and administrative liability, and hold every government official directly involved in the origination, planning, and implementation of this project accountable,” Mr. Ridon said in a statement.

The 500-meter stretch of white beach along Manila Bay cost P389 million and was named after the artificial sand made from crushed dolomite. The project was launched under the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and promoted as part of efforts to rehabilitate and beautify the bay.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando S. Artes earlier this week blamed the beach project as among the main contributors of flooding along a major thoroughfare in Manila. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio