The government will receive at least P350 million this year to be able to put up thousands of new “sanitary toilet facilities” to help prevent the resurgence of the polio virus, according to Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor.
He said the fresh funding is lodged in the Department of Health’s budget in the 2020 General Appropriations Act, but the money would only be released directly to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“The DPWH will construct the toilets based on a list of locations identified and specifications prescribed by the DoH,” he said.
Defensor is the vice chairperson of the House committee on health.
“Assuming the money is spent as it should be, based a fixed cost of only P20,000 per toilet, the P350 million should be enough to build some 17,500 new public toilets in most needed areas,” he said.
In another development, House Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo reiterated her call for an investigation into the implementation of the DoH’s anti-polio vaccine program after a new case was recorded last month in District 2 despite the nationwide polio vaccination.
“Many questions about the program needs to be answered after a child in Quezon City was recently diagnosed to have polio despite having vaccination,” she said.
“I would like to know from DoH how many polio viruses out there are threatening our children and how many vaccines do they have to protect them,” she added.