REACTION PAPER ON PHILIPPINE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM

In the Philippines the components of the health care delivery system as mandate of the
Department of Health (DOH) is to be responsible for the following: formulation and development of
national health policies, guidelines, standards and manual of operations for health services and
programs; issuance of rules and regulations, licenses and accreditations; promulgation of national
health standards, goals, priorities and indicators; development of special health programs and
projects and advocacy for legislation on health policies and programs. The primary function of the
Department of Health is the promotion, protection, preservation or restoration of the health of the
people through the provision and delivery of health services and through the regulation and
encouragement of providers of health goods and services (E.O. No. 119, Sec. 3).
The Philippine public health system, like our educational system, is in a sad state of
disrepair. We need not repeat today the litany of causes that have led us to our present conditions,
nor do we need to hear the “horror stories” of most of our people, who suffer from lack or absence
of health services. We all share a sense of urgency to fix our health system. It is time to look forward
and face the challenges of healthcare in the country.
Public healthcare also faces strain both from treating the large number of Filipinos who rely
on public healthcare and from the trend of Filipino medical staff migrating to Western countries.
This has resulted in understaffing in some hospitals and patients may experience delays in
treatment. The exodus of highly qualified people from a country – is a severe concern for the
Philippines’ healthcare system. Many talented Filipino doctors find work in other countries, leaving
the medical industry understaffed.

The Philippine healthcare system faces significant issues one is low emergency response;
the quality of ambulance services varies substantially across the Philippines – a problem
exacerbated by a lack of legislation around the functioning of emergency services. As a result,
emergency services are often slow to react, and pre-hospital care may be inadequate. Doctors and
nursing staff in public hospitals are highly proficient, however public healthcare in the Philippines
faces some limitations. Despite having achieved universal healthcare, the Philippines still struggles
with unequal access to medical care. As such, the standard of public healthcare in the Philippines
generally varies from excellent in urban centers to poor in rural areas. Based on a survey by the
Social Weather Station in 2006, majority of Filipinos specifically the low-income households prefer
to seek treatment in a government hospital if a family member needs confinement. Affordability is
the main reason for going to a government medical facility, while excellent service is the
main reason for going to a private medical facility (Department of Health, 2010).
The Philippines is a middle-income country with imbalanced distribution of economic
growth and productive resources. Economic growth has been at a decent rate in recent years but is
unassuming compared with other Asian countries. Poverty is predominant in rural areas as well as
in urban slum areas. The country is prone to natural disasters brought about by floods, typhoons,
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Along with many more determinants, these factors have
contributed to the unsatisfactory improvement of health status in the country compared toother
middle-income countries in the Region.