ESPRESSO MORNINGS

By Joe Zaldarriaga

Mr. Joe Zaldarriaga, fondly called “Manong Joe”, is a distinguished figure in the country’s corporate communications landscape. Holding the position of Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications at Manila Electric Company (Meralco), he has orchestrated unparalleled success for the utility company, winning accolades for their brand of service communications.
He was the architect behind Meralco’s most celebrated milestones in the field of communications— steering the company to five-time Company of the Year honors at the Philippine Quill Awards and leading the only PR team ever named Team of the Year in the history of the Anvil Awards.
Manong Joe’s leadership also extends as a respected member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), concurrent with his role as Chairman of the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines (IABC Philippines) where he also served as its President.
Manong Joe is a distinguished awardee of the medallion of honor and scroll of commendation from the University of Manila, owing to his years in public service as a communications professional. He shares his insights through columns in renowned publications, including The Philippine Star’s The Z Factor, and Philippine News Agency’s ESPRESSO MORNINGS.

Deliberations last week on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Health (DOH) have raised concerns on the use of public funds when it was revealed that around PHP1 billion is being allocated for the repairs and the beautification of the agency’s offices — raising questions about urgent priorities.

Iloilo representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin questioned the allocation, saying the funds can better be used in support of the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law.

Garin questioned how such a fund could pass through the Department of Budget and Management’s review considering the pressing need for additional resources for public hospitals and rural health units. Moreover, the allocation contradicts the policy directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pushing for “zero balance billing” in hospitals.

While it is true that DOH employees deserve to work in safe and conducive environments, with offices that reflect dignity and efficiency, the current state of the country’s healthcare system simply cannot afford such allocations at this point. With many hospitals, rural health units and health centers reportedly underfunded and in need of additional equipment, supplies, and manpower, priority must be given to frontline services instead of office aesthetics.

After all, what message does a PHP1 billion allocation for office beautification send to Filipinos enduring long lines in overburdened public hospitals? Or to those who are forced to cross oceans or go down mountains just to get medical attention?

The DOH must reconsider its priorities and allocate funds for what our healthcare system really needs. Filipino patients don’t need newly painted walls or new office tables—they need hospital beds, medicine, doctors, and enough nurses to provide medical care.

Including line items of this magnitude does not only hinder progress towards providing truly universal healthcare, it is also a disservice to millions of taxpaying Filipinos who religiously pay their dues and yet, when they need it most, often face difficulties in accessing state healthcare services.

I call on our lawmakers and society in general to look into and scrutinize the proposed 2026 national budget more intently to ensure that it reflects the needs of the people. The proposed PHP1 billion should be reallocated to serve the needs of our healthcare system, not on aesthetics. At the same time, the Department of Budget and Management should exercise greater vigilance to ensure that proposed expenditure plans of agencies reflect their mandate and are aligned with the overall policy of the administration.

Our healthcare system is strained and in desperate need of support. Many hospitals are running on tight budgets and are making do with aging facilities and overworked healthcare workers. A case in point is the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City, which had to convert its gymnasium into a temporary ward last month to treat patients with leptospirosis following heavy flooding caused by intensified monsoon rains and poor flood control.

It is in this context that spending on office upgrades seems not only luxurious but also immoral.

The DOH budget should prioritize how it could best save lives and serve the people’s welfare. Prudent budgeting demands allocating funds towards improved medical service delivery, better infrastructure, and wider healthcare accessibility. Let’s prioritize lives than beautification initiatives. These are allocations that would directly support the objective of universal healthcare and would ensure that taxes are used for the benefit of the people.

I echo Garin’s call for a redo of the DOH proposed budget—one that reflects the agency’s mandate and ensures prudent use of public funds.

Spending PHP1 billion on office beautification and repairs at a time when so many Filipinos cannot even afford essential medicines is a betrayal of that trust. Let us be prudent and invest where it counts. After all, health is the primary need of every Filipino. Aesthetics can wait but lives cannot.