More than 300 Philippine health workers and activists rode to Congress in a protest caravan last September 7 in support of activist congressman Satur Ocampo's privilege speech about the deteriorating public health care system. The speech, "An Urgent Appeal to Call Attention to the Deteriorating Public Health Care System," was based on data gathered by health workers from the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and health activists from Kilosbayan Para sa Kalusugan and revealed government's neglect of the people's right to health.

During the past eight years, the health budget has steadily declined by about 40 percent. The health workers' survey revealed that 89% of the patient respondents had to wait from three days to one month before they were admitted to the hospital. Most of the respondents said they had no money to pay for admission fee and 17.3% said there were no beds available. Some even had to wait for one to two years to be admitted. Almost three out of four patients were able to settle their bills either by borrowing, soliciting, or begging for contributions from relatives, friends, politicians and charitable institutions.

These findings are not surprising as the health budget has declined by about 40 percent during the past eight years. Currently, government spends only P114 per person on health – or 37 centavos a day. The health workers and activists therefore demand that the health appropriations in the 2005 national budget meet the World Health Organization’s recommended 5% of the gross national product.