Batangas State University College of Engineering, Architecture & Fine Arts

Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Pablo Borbon Main II, Batangas City
College of Engineering, Architecture & Fine Arts
www.batstate-u.edu.ph Tel. No. (043) 425-0139 loc. 118
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

GEd 105 – Readings in Philippine History
Research Paper
President Rodrigo Duterte's 2018 State of the Nation Address
The Filipino’s Health under Duterte’s Administration
ABSTRACT
The Republic of the Philippines is characterized due to the serious social and economic
inequalities, with 26% of the population in poverty. Government health services and access
expenditure have been limited. Collecting the vote of numerous poor Filipinos, Rodrigo Duterte
was chosen to the Presidency of the Republic of the Philippines on May 9 and inaugurated on
June 30, 2016. In the Western media, he has been denounced for his statements as the "Trump
of the Philippines" and for the legal and orderly policies of his term as Mayor of Davao City, He
was called "The Punisher" or "Harry Duterte.". In reality, be that as it may, he is a more intricate
figure, who made peace with Muslims and Communists while filling in as Mayor. Since the
election, he has taken liberals in his cabinet and declared a unilateral ceasefire with the
communist uprising. He has promised to set up social policies to lift the poor, including
improvements in access to health services. However, oligarchy will not give up its privileges and
its holdings easily, nonetheless. The health of the Filipinos will be influenced by what Duterte
manages to achieve during his six-year period.

INTRODUCTION
The election of Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency of the Republic of the
Philippines on 9th of May of 2016 represented a deviation from the common political
landscape of the nation. Elected on June 30, 2016, Duterte took over the management
of Benigno S. Aquino III. Will the Duterte’s government be able to lead changes in the
social and economic order? Will the administration lead changes in the health aspect
that will lead to an improvement in the health of the Filipinos? For 22 years he has been
mayor of Davao City, the third most populated municipality in the country, located on
Mindanao, the southernmost island of the archipelago. The legal provisions for his
mayor's administration led to a fall in crime figures. Duterte’s peace with armed
insurgencies between Muslims and communists and accorded representation to the
Muslims and indigenous peoples in the municipal administration. Since his presidency,
out-of-court killings or popularly known as extrajudicial killings have led to allegations of
vigilance and human rights violations.
During the presidential campaign, Duterte vowed to improve the poor system of
our country. In February 2016, he promised that if he is elected as president, he would
require all private hospitals to reserve 20 to 30 beds for the poor, with their expenses
paid by the government. Even though it is contrary to the Catholic Doctrine, Duterte still
pledged to make family planning more accessible to families who struggle to raise their
children - to curb population growth.

In his State of the Nation Address last July 25, 2016, Duterte state that. Social
justice will be pursued, as will the rule of law. “My administration must implement a
more effective approach to the development and governance, while improving the
welfare of our people in terms of health, education, adequate food and water, housing,
environmental protection and respect for culture.”
President Rodrigo Duterte called on Congress to prioritize the implementation of
the Universal Health Bill during his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday,
July 23, 2018.
During his speech, Duterte said that there is a lot of room for improving the
country's health system. He cited a difference in the results among people who can and
can not afford current healthcare.
"There is a lot of work to improve our healthcare system, which is still very
fragmented, leading to a difference in health outcomes among the rich and the poor,
urban and rural," says Duterte.
The president also noted that "different operational bottlenecks and policies"
have limited universal health services in that country. He added that the administration
intends to "ensure that all Filipinos get the right affordable and quality health services at
the right facilities" and that citizens are also "protected from financial burden due to
illness".
Duterte, through his spokesman, Harry Roque, had earlier noted the urgency of the
passage of the said bill.
The issue of the House of the Universal Health Law, approved in September last
year, states that all Filipinos will be covered by a national health insurance. He also
mentions that the current PhilHealth will be transformed into the Philippine Health
Security Corporation, which would pay medical fees and products.
FILIPINO’S CURRENT HEALTH STATUS
Classified by the World Bank as a lower middle class country, life expectancy is
expected at birth in the Philippines as 65 for men and 72 for women (2015). In the
United States life expectancy is 77 for men and 82 for women. Total healthcare costs
per capita are $ 287 (2013); 3 US spend $ 9146 per capita.
HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH WORKER DISTRIBUTION
The low cost per capita is reflected in the general lack of accessibility of health
services. Moreover, the existing services are unevenly distributed, with many poor, rural
and mountain areas lacking health workers and therefore health care. Some social
groups such as Muslims and indigenous people experience exclusion. Progressives
claim that seven out of ten Filipinos die without receiving medical assistance. In
addition, many of those who have received medical attention cannot afford drugs or
procedures that fit their condition.

The salaries of health professionals in the public sector are low. In 2012,
professional nurses earned average monthly wages of 11,488 Philippine pesos (Php),
about US $ 250. Doctors earned an average monthly salary of PHP 22,870 (about US $
497). Wages that are too low in relation to the cost of education and the cost of living,
causes the health professionals to work abroad. The International Organization for
Migration reported that in 2012 15,655 Filipino nurses were taken over the border. The
Philippines is the country that contributes the largest number of nurses to the rest of the
world. It is the third after India and the U.K. in the number of doctors that it contributes
to the rest of the world.
HEALTHCARE FINANCING
The Philippine Society for Health Insurance (PhilHealth) was created by law in
1994. And revised in 2013, Enrollees provides contributions to health insurance
companies.
To qualify for benefits,
 Members had to make three monthly payments in the last six months. Phil-Health
pays health care workers and facilities for medical costs incurred. For indigent
patients who have previously received medical assistance at nominal cost or at
no charge at state-owned facilities, and whose care was therefore funded by the
government, PhilHealth changes part of the cost of the user who has to pay a
membership fee. As more and more patients use private facilities, public funding
that was previously transferred to public facilities has been returned to private
suppliers.
HOSPITAL CORPORATIZATION AND PRIVATIZATION
Under the administration of Aquino, there are a number of hospitals that were
previously owned and managed by corporate or privatized public-private partnerships
(PPP). Because corporate organizations are responsible for their own funding; even the
poor are charged with user charges. For example Filipino Heart Center has been
transformed to attract private patients. National Kidney and Transplant Institute aims to
transfer patients to PhilHealth. This means that patients must face pocket expenses on
hemodialysis, medicines and hospital admissions. Patients with small hemodialysis are
encouraged to switch to peritoneal dialysis, which is difficult to perform. While the above
institutions are national reference centers, regional centers also undergo a process of
corporatization and privatization
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
Among the social determinants of health that affect the Philippine people are poverty,
unemployment, land shortages, geographical distance, environmental degradation,
vulnerability to disasters and social exclusion. While the Philippine economy achieved a
growth rate of 6%. In 2015, 26.3% of Filipinos (26.5 million of 100.7 million) lived below
the poverty threshold, defined by the Statistical Authority of the Philippines as a
minimum income to meet basic needs, including food. In addition, 12.1% (12.2 million)
lived in extreme poverty, defined as inability to pay three meals per day. Certain regions
are more impoverished. In the Autonomous Community Muslim region of Mindanao
59% of the people live below the poverty threshold and 30.1% in extreme poverty.16 In
2015, official unemployment. The rate was 6.3%, and the unemployment rate was
18.5%.
POTENTIAL FOR CHANGING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
With portfolios such as social welfare, agrarian reform and work assigned to the
left, the administration of Duterte offers a possibility of opening up to changes in the
social determinants of health. On the day of its inauguration, Duterte invited the leaders
of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), who were celebrating a concentration on
the street, at the Malacañang Palace, where they presented fifteen points "Popular
Agenda for Change" covering the five areas economic, social policy, governance, peace
and human rights, national sovereignty and foreign policy. A central issue is real land
reform, with the free distribution of land to landless peasants. When he was a member
of the House of Representatives of Anakpawis (peasant and labor party), the new
Secretary of Agrarian Reform, Rafael Mariano, proposed this legislation. By breaking
down the capture of large landowners and decreasing practices, such as land retention,
one can expect to increase living standards and, therefore, the nutrition and health of
rural poor people. Without a doubt, the interests obtained are opposed to this agrarian
reform. The economic team at Duterte is not capable of planning drastic measures.
CONCLUSION
Will changes in the determinants of health lead to an improvement in the health
of the people of the Philippines?
The answers will depend on whether the Administration of Duterte has a political
mandate and power to continue the proposed reforms. The Democratic Party of the Bay
of Pilipino-Lakas Bay (PDP-Laban) controls the Senate and the House of
Representatives. Their legislative agendas will do so. They have an online approach
with the left-wing agenda, how to get peace conventions with the CPP-NDF and end the
work contract where workers are permanent temporary workers. However, other issues
of the Duterte program include the establishment of a federal form of Government and
restore the death penalty. Duterte also receives support from the right, which hopes to
continue many of the neoliberal economic policies of its predecessors.

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and Development/

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Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

The Filipino’s Health under Duterte’s Administration

manages to achieve during his six-year period.

The election of Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency of the Republic of the

insurgencies between Muslims and communists and accorded representation to the

out-of-court killings or popularly known as extrajudicial killings have led to allegations of

vigilance and human rights violations.

our country. In February 2016, he promised that if he is elected as president, he would

children - to curb population growth.

environmental protection and respect for culture.”

President Rodrigo Duterte called on Congress to prioritize the implementation of

July 23, 2018.

can not afford current healthcare.

urban and rural," says Duterte.

passage of the said bill.

Security Corporation, which would pay medical fees and products.

FILIPINO’S CURRENT HEALTH STATUS

per capita are $ 287 (2013); 3 US spend $ 9146 per capita.

HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH WORKER DISTRIBUTION

groups such as Muslims and indigenous people experience exclusion. Progressives

procedures that fit their condition.

to the rest of the world.

1994. And revised in 2013, Enrollees provides contributions to health insurance

To qualify for benefits,

patients who have previously received medical assistance at nominal cost or at

HOSPITAL CORPORATIZATION AND PRIVATIZATION

previously owned and managed by corporate or privatized public-private partnerships

corporatization and privatization

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

unemployment, land shortages, geographical distance, environmental degradation,

the poverty threshold, defined by the Statistical Authority of the Philippines as a

are more impoverished. In the Autonomous Community Muslim region of Mindanao

POTENTIAL FOR CHANGING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

left, the administration of Duterte offers a possibility of opening up to changes in the

of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), who were celebrating a concentration on

Secretary of Agrarian Reform, Rafael Mariano, proposed this legislation. By breaking

Will changes in the determinants of health lead to an improvement in the health

of the people of the Philippines?

of Pilipino-Lakas Bay (PDP-Laban) controls the Senate and the House of

continue many of the neoliberal economic policies of its predecessors.

9. Li H, Nie W, Li J. The benefits and caveats of

10. The International Bank for Reconstruction

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