By HANNAH TORREGOZA
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito renewed yesterday his push for the proposed Universal Healthcare bill which he hoped to be passed by the Senate on or before October.
Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, said the bill is still in the period of interpellation, and hopes to defend the measure in the upcoming weeks.
“(My) target is to finish it in two weeks and hopefully we can pass it (on third and final reading) on October,” Ejercito said in an interview over Radio DZBB.
“That would already be the start of the political season, so I hope we can pass it by then. This is one of the landmark measure we are aiming to approve immediately,” said Ejercito who is running for re-election in the May 2019 midterm polls.
All Filipinos will soon be covered by free health insurance that would result to savings for households in terms of medical expenses and better facilities in state hospitals, once the bill is enacted into law.
The Senate is expected to approve the Universal Healthcare Bill anytime this month after President Duterte appealed to Congress to pass the measure.
“It’s a great honor to craft this landmark bill—along with our fellow servants in government—in the name of each Filipino, who deserve to receive efficient, sufficient, accessible, and affordable health care from the government,” Ejercito said.
