TAGUM CITY-The province of Davao del Norte aims to enhance its local autonomy and self-reliance through economic enterprise and the generation of sustainable local revenue.
“This can become possible with the creation of the Provincial Economic Enterprise Development Office (PEEDO),” PEEDO Department Head Ma. Eliza L. Andin said during the Monday Convocation held at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan in Davao del Norte.
Andin said the province is highly dependent on the IRA or Internal Revenue Allotment for various expenses including its loan obligations, capital outlay, salaries and MOOEs.
As proof, she stressed that up to 91 percent or P746 million of the P821 million budget appropriations for the province this year comes from the IRA. “Only 9 percent is sourced locally, mainly from real property taxes or RPT,” she said.
She said the three hospitals of the province namely the Kapalong Zone, Carmen Zone and Samal Zone are heavily supported and subsidized by the IRA with up to P50 million infused to the three hospitals every year for their operating budgets.
Despite this, she admitted that the three hospitals still lack the necessary infrastructure, facilities and medical supplies to provide ideal healthcare for the residents. Because of this, 70 percent of patients from the province still prefer to get treatment from private hospitals rather than the government hospitals.
“It is ironic that 60 percent of the Philhealth market in the province is captured by the Davao Regional Hospital while only 9 percent patronize the three hospitals,” Andin said. This should be a cause for concern, she added, since the huge number of indigent Philhealth beneficiaries are sponsored by the Governor under his RDR Philhealth Para sa Masa Program.
Andin said PEEDO will play a significant role in the management and supervision of the hospitals, the health insurance services and the bloodbank of the province. An efficient management of these services and facilities, she added, will make them viable and stable economic enterprises that will help improve the healthcare system of the province
Through the PEEDO, the provincial government is not only eyeing the provision of an effective healthcare system, but also the generation of local resources to fund the operations of these facilities.(LACarillo/PIAXI)
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