House Committee on Ways and Means chairperson Albay Rep. Joey Salceda has called for more vigilance against COVID-19 as the cases feared to reach 7,000 daily by end of March.
“Our citizens must continue to take every necessary personal precaution. Government must accelerate its vaccination efforts. This will not be over until we achieve herd immunity with enough vaccinations,” Salceda stressed.
“It is fortunate that President Duterte decided against the pressure to reopen the economy fully. Earlier during the year, we asked the Executive to begin vaccinations for healthcare workers by the first quarter, and to vaccinate healthcare workers first before considering any major reopening. I am glad this advice was heeded,” he added.
However, the economist solon said the recent rise in cases will undoubtedly slow down the recovery of consumer and business confidence, whether we open the economy or not.
“I urge the Cabinet to be more open to additional relief in this difficult period. Medical assistance will be especially crucial. As COVID-19 cases rise, government hospitals will be unable to serve citizens with other health conditions. They will have to go to pricier private hospitals. They need our help,” Salceda said.
Salceda also urged the Department of Health to be vigilant about medical billing during this critical period.
He recently filed House Bill No. 8331 aimed to prevent surprise medical billing in private hospitals, impose greater transparency and accountability among health insurance providers, and prevent price gouging by private healthcare providers.
“In the meantime, I urge the DOH to issue regulations against abusive private hospital practices. A hotline on the matter is also important,” he furthered.
The solon also stressed that government already extended relief to private hospitals, through VAT exemptions in PPEs. With the CREATE Act, it is expected that the income tax of private non-profit hospitals from 10% to 1% until 2023.
“Lower consumer and business confidence will also slow down recovery. The quarter-on-quarter rise in unemployment from 3.8 million by the end 2020, to 4 million in January 2021 signifies that economic relief is still needed. As Ways and Means Chairman in the House, I understand the need for fiscal prudence in economic relief. I urge the economic managers to give us a number they can afford and we can work with, instead of rejecting our proposals altogether,” Salceda said.