House Deputy Minority Leader and ML Representative Leila de Lima has called for a congressional inquiry into the alarming number of unfinished and non-operational hospitals and health centers across the country, citing possible misuse of public funds under the Department of Health’s (DOH) Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).
Through House Resolution No. 353, De Lima urged a joint investigation by the House committees on good government, public accounts, and health, following reports of incomplete facilities and unutilized allocations intended to strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
“Sa dami ng hindi nakumpleto o abandonadong hospital at health facilities, kayo ba ay Department of Health o Department of Haunted Hospitals?” she said in a statement, condemning what she described as wasteful and neglectful governance.
De Lima noted that numerous projects, though funded, were either left unfinished or not made operational, leaving many communities without access to vital medical services. “Pagamutan yan para kanino—para sa mga multo,” she said, emphasizing the absurdity of spending billions only to leave facilities abandoned.
Citing a 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report, De Lima revealed that 123 DOH projects worth ₱11.5 billion were not completed within their contract deadlines. She also pointed out that during House deliberations on the DOH’s proposed ₱253-billion budget for 2026, Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno disclosed that only 200 of the 600 health centers funded under the HFEP are currently functioning due to lack of manpower.
“Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang bilyon-bilyong pondong nasasayang para sa serbisyong pangkalusugan ng mga Pilipino,” De Lima said, stressing that these failures directly harm Filipinos who already struggle to afford hospital care.
She lamented that many Filipinos die without receiving medical attention, go into debt because of illness, and continue to live in fear of where to find money for hospital bills—while billions of pesos remain unspent or misused. “Hindi dapat palampasin ito. Dapat may managot sa anomalyang ito na pumapatay sa napakaraming Pilipino,” she declared.
