Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) — A budget cut in the Health Department in 2019 could lead to massive job losses among health workers, but some senators say they will not allow it.

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque said around 15,012 health workers may lose their jobs after the Budget Department slashed the DOH deployment program to rural communities by ₱8 billion.

The DOH has an actual budget of ₱107.3 billion this year, but the Budget Department is allotting only 71 billion pesos for the department next year.

The cut includes funds for the DOH's Health Human Resources Deployment (HRRD) program, which sends around 26,000 health professionals to rural and poor communities. The HRRD's budget of ₱9.6 billion was reduced to ₱1.2 billion.

"In this budget we are reducing, we are letting go, or inaalis natin mga [we are removing around] 15,000 nurses at [and] health personnel. Hindi po ito tama [this is not right]," Senator Frank Drilon said Monday.

Senator Grace Poe decried the budget cut saying it will cripple health services.

"It is as if a fiscal tourniquet was applied on the DOH, constricting the flow of funds, which is the lifeblood of its programs," Poe said.

Drilon and Senator Risa Hontiveros vowed to lobby for increases in the Health Department's budget. Hontiveros asked Duque to submit a list of "priority among priorities" to the Senate, while Drilon said he would block the DOH's 2019 budget if the Budget Department does not increase it.

Hontiveros said amid the crisis of inflation and the aftermath of a powerful typhoon, it is imperative that they prioritize the health of Filipinos.

"Walang tigil na nga ang mga sakuna ng mamamayan sa bagyo, matataas na presyo ng bilihin at dagdag na pagbubuwis, huwag naman sana pati sa kapos na serbisyong kalusugan ang mamamayan ay magtiis," she said.

[Translation: There already seems to be no end for tragedies befalling citizens from the typhoon, inflation and tax increases. Let's not allow to them to suffer from insufficient health services too.]

Drilon also suggested that instead of sacking more health personnel, they should regularize the HRRD's 26,000 health workers, who are now only rendering their services on-call.

"You cannot have an 'endo' situation in the DOH, because the services will be affected," Drilon said.

"Endo" or "end of contract" is a form of contractualization where workers are hired for not more than five months.

CNN Philippines' Senior Correspondent Cecille Lardizabal contributed to this report.