The Department of Health recently announced the launch of 'Kalinga Kit,' a care package for Filipinos who contracted COVID-19. Here's everything we know so far
Five pieces of face masks, alcohol, thermometer, paracetamol, and lagundi medicine will be placed in the COVID-19 care package that the Department of Health (DOH) is set to provide almost two years after the initial lockdown in the Philippines. According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the agency has already put together at least 35,000 "Kalinga Kits" that are ready for distribution.
“We have already close to 35,000 put together so we’ll start distributing them," Duque said in a televised interview.
The Secretary added that the Department is also working to lower the prices of COVID-19 tests. "We will review again because we need to scope the market. We will see more and more players, testing kit manufacturers in the market. I’m sure this is going to push the prices down,” he stressed.
As of this writing, RT-PCR and antigen tests remain unaffordable to ordinary Filipinos. The former costs PHP2,800 in public laboratories and up to PHP3,360 to PHP5,000 in private clinics and hospitals. The latter, on the other hand, costs PHP700 to PHP 900.
In case you missed it: Despite Omicron, Why Aren't RT-PCR Tests Free in the Philippines This 2022?
Private Sectors Sought for Help
Despite having one of the biggest budgets for the fiscal year 2022, the Health Secretary still sought the help of private entities in the country. In the same interview, he pleaded for support from "well-meaning companies". "We are asking well-meaning companies to help us, to co-brand DOH with them to provide home kits,” he said.
In 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the PHP5.024 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2022. The budget is equivalent to 23.3 per cent of the gross domestic product, and larger by 11.5 per cent than last year's budget.
The Education Sector which includes the State Universities and Colleges, CHED, and DepEd received the highest allocation with PHP788.5 billion; this was followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with PHP 786.6 billion.
The Department of Budget and Management allotted the health sector (DOH and Philhealth) PHP268.4 billion, placing it third in the list of sectors with the largest budget.
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