MANILA, (PNA) — The Addendum to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Project HSPSP-Spanish Grant was signed Friday between the government’s Departments of Health (DOH) and Budget and Management (DBM) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation through the Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) of Spain, in support of the country’s Health Sector Reform.
Present during the MOA signing were DOH Secretary Enrique Ona and Mr. Vicente Selles Zaragosi, Spain’s Coordinator General, Technical Cooperation Office in the Philippines, as signatories, with Ambassador Jorge Domecq of Spain and DOH officials, as witnesses.
The MOA for the Spanish grant which seeks to contribute to the improvement of the health of the poorest population by improving accessibility to quality, effectiveness and essential health services was signed on March 24, 2009 by both secretaries of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Spain and the Philippines.
Under the the MOA, some P721 million Spanish contribution is earmarked for specific activities that are eligible for financing, in accordance with the Annual Operations Plan (AOP) of the pilot sites as approved by the DOH regional offices.
These include the upgrade of rural health centers into birthing facilities; Reinforcement of the Referral system at the local level and Strengthening of the local public financial management.
According to DOH, the grant subsidy release was divided in four (4) tranches and started in 2009.
Phases (1) and (2) for implementation in 2009-2013 were already closed and implemented in Albay, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao Norte, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City.
Phase (3), however, was scheduled for 2011-2014 in 12 provinces, namely, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorosogn, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Dinagat Island, as recipients.
The MOA Addendum which was signed on Friday, Sept. 27 covers only Phase (4), the fund of which shall be released to concerned regional DOH offices.
The proposed sites are Zamboanga Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Isabela City (Basilan), Lanao Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur and ARMM.
“The existing partnership between our government and Spain is a big boost toward our noble goal of universal healthcare or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan,” the DOH chief emphasized.