Lawmakers filed a bill at the House of Representatives recommending using the Malampaya funds as an additional fund source to improve the country’s public health infrastructure amid pandemic.
1-PACMAN party-list Representatives Eric Pineda and Mikee Romero and Manila Teachers party-list Representative Virgilio Lacson have filed Public Health Infrastructure Act or House Bill 7800.
The bill seeks to amend Presidential Decree (PD) No. 910 to allow Congress to allocate a portion of the Malampaya funds and other similar projects to public health infrastructure development.
PD 910 was signed in 1976 and created the Energy Development Board and its powers and functions.
“On the average kasi, Malampaya earns about $1 billion for the government and most of this utilized for oil exploration and likewise the improvement of our energy sector,” Pineda said in a media forum on Wednesday.
“That’s why we want to amend the bill, na in times of calamity, this Malampaya fund can be made available, and for us, the best way to use these funds is to improve our healthcare facilities,” he added.
Solons: Use Malampaya funds for health infrastructure improvement
Pineda said that the country clearly lacks hospitals and healthcare workers to respond to the COVID-19 crisis effectively.
“Kulang na kulang ‘yung ating dami ng doktor for every 10,000 patients. It’s way below the prescribed ratio ng WHO (World Health Organization). Tayo ay 3.7 doctors for every 10,000 persons, prescribed ng WHO is minimum ng 10 doctors,” he said.
“That’s why for us, the authors of this bill, Cong. Lacson and Cong. Romero, this is something that we will request the Speaker to label this as urgent bill para maipasa natin ito within the year, and hopefully, the President can sign it also by the end of the year and then this fund be available by next year na,” he said.
The Public Health Infrastructure Act is currently pending with the Commission on Appropriations.
The Malampaya Gas field is located 80km off Palawan Island’s coast.
In August 1998, Shell Philippines Exploration BV awarded Brown & Root a $432m design, procurement, fabrication, installation, and commissioning contract of the Malampaya gas field.