Remarks by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. following his visit to Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital

Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

Nandito tayo sa Fabella Medical Center to come – continue ang ating – para ipagpatuloy ang ating mga inspeksyon para matiyak na ang ating Zero Balance Billing ay maganda ang pagpatakbo at dahil may mga fine tuning din na ginagawa.

Pero dito naman sa inyo, it looks like you have a very, very fine operation that is well-recognized especially for the preemies, for the – the little ba – the babies that are – that have a condi – that are born with a certain condition. So, you have become a center for that. Kaya’t congratulations sa inyong lahat.

Mukha namang maayos ‘yung pagpatakbo ng zero billing na programa ng pamahalaan. Patuloy lang naman.

At so again, we have to congratulate not – all our health workers because we know that you all are very hardworking and we know how dedicated you are.

Kaya naman eh sikat na sikat tayong healthcare workers kaya’t nawawala kayong lahat. We have to keep you – we have to keep you here for a while man lang, for a while man lang.

But, again, despite that, we have to congratulate everyone for the good work and the [applause] and all the help that we are – that you are providing our people sa kanilang healthcare, hindi lamang sa mga maliliit na bata, ‘yung mga sanggol, kung hindi pati na sa ating mga pasyente.

And I think it is an appropriate moment to also explain what we have done concerning – because we are talking about Zero Balance Billing, to talk about what we are planning to do to strengthen PhilHealth.

I think today, we can announce that… Alam ninyo noong kinuha ng Department of Finance ‘yung 60 billion na pera ng PhilHealth na hindi naman nagagamit ay dinala sa national government.

Naramda… Kahit anong paliwanag na ibigay namin, kahit na anong ipakita natin na dumadami ang serbisyo na kino-cover ng PhilHealth, may pangamba pa rin ‘yung tao na baka mabawasan ‘yung mga services. Dinagdagan na natin.

Pero siyempre hindi mo maiwasan ‘yan dahil ibang usapan ito. We are talking about life and death issues here for people.

So, you cannot blame them na may pangamba sila na baka sa pagkuha nung 60 billion na dinala nga sa national government ay baka mabawasan ang services. Kahit na napatunayan na namin na hindi mababawasan ang services, siyempre nandoon pa rin ang pangamba.

So, I’m happy to be able to announce dahil sa ating mga ginagawa… Siguro alam naman ninyo lahat ‘yung mga savings natin na bago na galing sa iba’t ibang departamento, but mainly from Department of Public Works and Highways, ‘yung – ‘yung 60 billion na ‘yan, ibabalik na natin sa PhilHealth [applause] para –

Hindi lamang – hindi lamang para sa pangamba ng tao kung hindi dahil gagamitin na natin, nagkaroon na tayo ng savings, gagamitin na natin ‘yan para palawakin pa ang serbisyo ng PhilHealth.

Kaya’t ‘yan po ang aming patuloy na ginagawa para ang ating mga kababayan ay maramdaman naman nila na ang pamahalaan, ang DOH, lahat tayo, lahat mga health workers, ginagawa ang lahat upang ‘yung ang kanilang kalusugan at ang kanilang mga anak, lalong-lalo na dito, ay naaalagaan, naaalalayan. And that’s what we are trying to do.

And so, that – that is why when – noong nagkaroon na ng savings, eh sabi ko siguro ang unang… Para sa akin, dahil hindi ko talaga – hindi ko talaga makalimutan ang payo sa akin. Alam mo ang tao, kahit gaano kayaman, kahit gaano kasikat, kapag may sakit, hindi masayang tao ‘yan.

And that is why healthcare is the most important service that the government can give. And that’s why pinapatibay natin nang husto, pinapalawak natin nang husto.

Kailangan lang siguro natin ipalaman sa taong-bayan na mayroon na ganitong klaseng programa. At bukod pa riyan ay ito nga, nadagdagan na natin ang hawak ng PhilHealth na… ‘Yung 60 billion na ginamit natin para sa iba’t ibang proyekto dahil nagka-savings tayo, maidadala na natin ulit sa PhilHealth para kagaya ng nasabi ko, palawakin nga ang kanilang serbisyo at pagandahin ang kanilang patakbo.

Kaya’t first of all, congratulations sa inyong lahat. Thank you very much. [applause]

Thank you very much for your service at kaming mga government – kaming government workers, we are 8 to 5.

Kayo may oras kayo? Wala yata. May bakasyon ba kayo? Wala rin. May weekend ba kayo? Wala kayong weekend. Ganiyan talaga ang mga healthcare workers eh.

Kaya nga that is why we have to thank you very, very much.

You know, I am a – I am a victim of Covid at talagang kamuntik talaga ako doon sa Covid. Ang sama — because hikain ako. I have real issues with my – with my lungs.

But because of your – all your hard work, all of you, all of you, you saved my life and you saved many, many, thousands, millions of lives and what more can you ask of our healthcare workers more than that?

And you are continuing to save lives. You are continuing to give hope to our people, to our families. And that is the most important thing we can do, to give hope.

When people give up, sasabihin nila, kawawa naman ‘to. ‘Yung mga pasyente wala na, hindi na magamot dahil wala kaming pambayad, maayos na ngayon ‘yan.

Hindi na sila kailangang magbayad. Mayroon silang hospital na pupuntahan at ang government ay mag-aalalay sa kanila.

So, thank you once again for all your good work. Please. Please keep it up. [applause]

Keep up the good work. Believe me you are – it is well-appreciated.

Maraming, maraming salamat.

Good morning po. [applause]

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