Nokia Seeks Healthier Future

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD5FR0HA2N2jNZeWLC3ZOF0tokNj8KzaGoakySPfHB5k1laOK_OtO076Phbj_QaRJ0rCcJ82WWR5lQFQfU77fy25pnwkpIth-aG1GMBXdVwyWWCVnZrzSpfZ2vDKY81b4Oe5opMlWRKyh/s1600/Nokia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD5FR0HA2N2jNZeWLC3ZOF0tokNj8KzaGoakySPfHB5k1laOK_OtO076Phbj_QaRJ0rCcJ82WWR5lQFQfU77fy25pnwkpIth-aG1GMBXdVwyWWCVnZrzSpfZ2vDKY81b4Oe5opMlWRKyh/s640/Nokia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br />Two years after selling its mobile-phone unit to Microsoft Corp., the Finnish maker of telecom-network equipment said Tuesday that it plans to buy Withings SA, a French startup that was among the first companies to make Internet-connected devices that track users’ health.<br /><br />Nokia Corp is planning to buy an internet connected user health tracker startup as a step into regaining its gadget business. Withings SA, a French startup in order to get back to its innovation roots. <br /><br />Withings will be another level for Nokia that sold its mobile phone unit to Microsoft two years ago. This will be an entry for Nokia at the “connected health” market which is also included in “wearable tech” Nokia will utilize US191 million of its profits to acquire Withings.<br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&postID= 5760494600553905914&target=facebook" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9Bov-5jxblscorzGCopVL5Xz68i6dvP9jIudFNjEHqR8MMdmVfysddhDjGUhuvlerb67aHnfQDJEUeUQZ5kjo_Wx4ig1t1Up2WOpNkMj-NaNLwPtxqdA3ez_SOd-1IwiRZWwI2BCbpA/s1600/sharefb185.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&postID= 5760494600553905914&target=twitter" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMggqAn9B6n_ue3iBOqDQgfJmfpRxWvLyKJRt7IFP17wasPqRAsizTNNHpZHUKMuDMZm5A4duwa4m0IFs-cBh79J03YQVVToXxjf2LZ6qNn4CyLwa8Wy-c4jj2UC8QFH081Ja_q0iaXdM/s1600/sharetw185.png" /></a></div> <br />

Equipment Health IT Technology Nokia Seeks Healthier Future

Two years after selling its mobile-phone unit to Microsoft Corp., the Finnish maker of telecom-network equipment said Tuesday that it plans to buy Withings SA, a French startup that was among the first companies to make Internet-connected devices th…

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Status of the Philippine Healthcare System

<br /> <br /> <div class="PadderBetweenControlandBody"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOhz1gppdZN1iP_ay6lyAMxhzamaZZX-qbx9ru1le_8cc8MhRGC459OgxrA9uHQpZ32VwSckatdQXkANjc-qIKRaNWZg9VTkw1EvkH99OT9NJ5G4iQwxzXNVAKZPlPyBsTIVJ1rHP1OrD/s1600/HC+System.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOhz1gppdZN1iP_ay6lyAMxhzamaZZX-qbx9ru1le_8cc8MhRGC459OgxrA9uHQpZ32VwSckatdQXkANjc-qIKRaNWZg9VTkw1EvkH99OT9NJ5G4iQwxzXNVAKZPlPyBsTIVJ1rHP1OrD/s640/HC+System.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Strengthening Peso In Relation to United States (U.S.) Dollar</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>The current market price for which one currency can be traded for another is called an exchange rate<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For example, if the U.S. Dollar exchange rate for the Philippine Peso of 44.38 means that 1 U.S. Dollar can be exchanged for 44.38 Philippine Peso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Though it is challenging to understand the changes in foreign exchange market rates, it stays as one of the most analysed and forecasted economic indicators as exchange rates play an important role in determining the level of competitiveness of a country.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>According to TradingEconomics.com, the USD-PHP spot exchange rate has appreciated 0.6200 or 1.42 percent during the last 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>During the period from 1998 to 2013, this exchange rate averaged 47.2700 pesos to a dollar reaching an all-time high of 56.3400 in October 2004 and a record low of 37.8400 in May 1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>According to the BangkoSentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the average monthly Peso per U.S. Dollar rate for 2013 is at 42.2954<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Earlier in October this year, the Philippine Peso was expected to significantly appreciate next year to 40-to-a-dollar and would be among the strongest in the region as forecasted by the investment bank Goldman Sachs due to increase in investments, continuous inflow of foreign exchange from Overseas Filipino Workers, and the strengthening of business process outsourcing (BPO).<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Though the peso fell to its lowest since September last December 20,^,2013 at 44.50:$1 due to the US Federal Reserve’s unexpected announcement of its intent to taper its monetary stimulus through quantitative easing (QE) on January 2014, the BSP remains untroubled and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>still expects the peso to gain its strength back as remittances from overseas workers continue to increase<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The following table shows a positive outlook by the Economist Intelligence Unit for the Philippine currency in the coming years:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">           </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                        </span>Table 2. USD-PhP Exchange Rate<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">USD-PHP Exchange Rate</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2013</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">43.00</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2014</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">42.50</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2015</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">42.00</span></b></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Stable Interest Rates</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">            </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">In 2012, the country’s key policy interest rate was at 3.5%.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a> In 2013, the said BSP’s rate</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> for the overnight borrowing or reverse repurchase (RRP) facility<span style="color: black;"> was kept at 3.5% by the Monetary Board</span> and 5.50 % for the overnight lending or repurchases (RP) facility<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The decision to maintain these rates stems from the BSP’s assessment that inflation stays non-threatening and domestic economic activity continues to show solid growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Moreover, lending to the productive sectors of the economy has also been growing in strength, thus, contributing to the minimization of price pressures. Comparatively three years ago, rates for the RRP and RP facilities were at 6.00 and 4.00, respectively, which means that current rates are lower.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">To further support this positive outlook, Table 3 shows a forecast for the next few years on this economic factor.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Table 3. Interest Rate Forecast 2013-2015<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[7]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Interest Rate</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2013</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3.5</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2014</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3.5</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2015</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3.5</span></b></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lower and stable interest rates may mean an opportunity for the government and through it the hospitals, to improve its capability for the enhancement of its facilities through expansion projects and opens the option of financing these through long-term borrowings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Interest rates affect hospitals financially as it determines the level of costs the government incurs from its existing loans through interest expenses and repayments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With stable interest rates, the government will, in part, be able to efficiently control its financial health in terms of its current and future long-term borrowings for its capital investments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Additional hospital capital investments will consequently result to better delivery of health care services.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Low and Stable Inflation</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>With the strength of domestic economic activity and increasing capacity of domestic productivity, the BSP remains unruffled as it deems inflation as manageable over the next few years<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[8]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Forecasts support this stance as it shows that inflation will stay within the target range over policy horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In general, mean inflation is expected to decrease but still within-target for 2013 to 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For 2013 and 2014, forecast showed the decrease to 2.9% and 3.5%, respectively, and a stable 3.6% for the year 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With stable global commodity prices, price pressures in the country are expected to be unthreatening as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Good demand indicators and manageable supply conditions are also anticipated to maintain the current robust domestic economic activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The following fan chart demonstrates that risks to BSP’s positive outlook on inflation, through careful assessment of price trends and future inflation, appear to be positive as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The fan chart illustrates the probability of different inflation outcomes and risks based on a central projection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The relatively larger bands above this central projection, the BSP’s baseline forecast, confirms that its position is indeed on the upside.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Relevance:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Inflation affects the hospital in terms of its costs of operation such as wages, repair and maintenance costs, supplies and equipment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Irregular fluctuations or fast increases in prices can cause the hospital’s inability to catch up in its adjustment of prices of services it offers or in its request for additional budget and may also therefore mean higher cost of operations and lesser profits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Low and stable inflation rates in the next few years shall present the hospital with more control in its costs of operations, prices of medical services it offers, and generation of revenues as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Moreover, low and stable inflation also means more peso for people to spend and thus, increases their capability to pay for health services as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This, therefore, presents an opportunity for the hospital.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Upward Trend of GDP Growth Rate</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 2.4pt 0in 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">The domestic economy accelerated in the third quarter of 2013 by 7.5 percent from 7.3 percent recorded the previous year boosting the 2013 first nine months growth to 7.4 percent from 6.7 percent in 2012<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[9]</span></span></span></span></a>.  The third quarter growth is the fifth consecutive GDP growth of at least 7.0 percent under the Aquino Administration. This is the result of strong performance in the real estate, renting, and business activities, trade and financial intermediation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This growth is backed up by the Industry sector’s robust growth as well.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 2.4pt 0in 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>It even surpassed the World Banks’s expectation of 6.2% for 2013 and the forecast made by the Economy Watch that shows an expected GDP annual growth rate of 6.3-6.9 percent from 2012 to 2016 and will reach US$ 514 billion by the end of 2016<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[10]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 2.4pt 0in 0in; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 2.4pt 0in 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"></span></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">           </span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">According to World Bank, shall the country sustain a high GDP of at least 5%, around 2.2 million Filipinos can be provided with good jobs from 2013 to 2016<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[11]</span></span></span></span></a>. The following table shows a positive viewpoint for the country’s annual GDP growth rate in the next few years.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Table 4. GDP Annual Growth Rate Forecast 2013-2015<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[12]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">GDP Annual Growth Rate</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2013</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">4.50</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2014</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">7.25</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2015</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">7.17</span></b></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Relevance:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">An important component of GDP is consumption and government expenditure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The steady growth of economy may mean an increase in private and government expenditure on health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With private consumption as a basic driver of the country’s GDP growth, people could be spending more not only for non-medical items such as food but also for medical services offered in hospitals as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Government spending for the provision of health services could also be increasing, and thus, may increase the number of Filipinos with health coverage. This has a positive effect on hospitals as continuous and increased spending on health care services would result to the hospital’s improved financial position and consequently improved quality of services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Migration of Experienced Health Care Professionals</span></b></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">In the global labor market, the Philippines has become a source of a great number of professional workers especially for the first world countries; health workers are not left behind by this migration trend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Nurses comprise the largest number of health workers leaving the country followed by midwives and doctors. In 2010, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) reported a total number of 12,082 nurses and 266 midwives deployed to other countries<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[13]</span></span></span></span></a>. Next to India, the Philippines is already the largest source of doctors in hospitals abroad. The country also supplies 25 percent of all overseas nurses worldwide<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[14]</span></span></span></span></a> and 83 per cent of foreign nurses in the United States<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[15]</span></span></span></span></a>. This loss of skilled manpower in the local health sector is attributed to the country’s deeper issues on employment opportunities and inadequate wages to sustain a decent living. Our professionals continue to leave our country to seek more opportunities for career development and higher living standards.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">According to a report of POEA, Nurse Professionals ranked second among the top ten deployed land-based Overseas Filipino Workers by Occupational Categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>From 2008 to 2012, the number of nurse professionals deployed abroad shows an increasing trend. The year 2011 marked the highest number at 17,236 deployed nurses.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 5. Number of Deployed Land-based Overseas Filipino Workers by Top Ten</span></b></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">                                   </span>Occupational Categories, 2008-2012<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[16]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;"></span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;"></span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzPSfdgjRtmJbHYjpjde62evdG4csc_J3qSRxxHMmRGVSpwHA88T3xsFL5pFvlchtzjen1wtb7_HNBH7VNsGrC4w-qs1h_2xj_yPqS44_Zkw0urEDBEqJv0DwAvwNArgKfRX0HlvteiYk/s1600/table5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzPSfdgjRtmJbHYjpjde62evdG4csc_J3qSRxxHMmRGVSpwHA88T3xsFL5pFvlchtzjen1wtb7_HNBH7VNsGrC4w-qs1h_2xj_yPqS44_Zkw0urEDBEqJv0DwAvwNArgKfRX0HlvteiYk/s640/table5.png" width="640" /></a></div> </div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Relevance:</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Because the migrating nurses are usually the ones with training, experience and skills, patients in hospitals and other health institutions in the Philippines can expect a higher incidence of cross-infections, adverse events after surgery, accidents, injuries and even increased violence against the staff.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Moreover, with the best among nursing students often leaving as soon as they graduate, the less skilled are taking the place of senior or relatively more experienced nurses who have also left for other shores. In a year or two, they too would be gone. The void would be filled once more by fresh graduates who would repeat the same cycle: get a few years’ experience in a local hospital, apply for work abroad and then leave. It is say many health professionals, a cycle that leaves local hospitals in a state of perpetual displacement—and patients in constant danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With staff usually composed of trainees, quality of service may deteriorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This would also contribute to higher costs of operation as hospitals continuously spend for the training of newly hired medical staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This poses a threat to hospitals.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">High Poverty Incidence Among Families</span></b></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">In 2012 full year official poverty statistics report made by the Philippine Statistical System in early December 2013, statistics show that extreme poverty remains at 1.6 million in the previous year<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[17]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This refers to the subsistence incidence or the proportion of Filipino families under extreme poverty. This is estimated at 7.5 per cent in 2012 with no significant increase since 2009.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Poverty incidence refers to the percentage of poor families to the total number of families in an area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The latest NSCB report shows that the poverty incidence in the country was at 19.7 per cent in 2012, a significant decrease since 1991. This means that about one (1) out of every five (5) Filipino families was poor in that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Since 2006, with the continuing growing population of the country, no significant changes in poverty incidence were observed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Despite this fact, however, the number of poor families increased to 4.2 million in 2012 from 3.8 million in 2006.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 6. Annual Poverty Incidence in the Philippines<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn18" name="_ftnref18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[18]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Poverty Incidence Among Families (%)</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">1991</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">29.7</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2006</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">21.0</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2009</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">20.5</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2012</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">19.7</span></b></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 7. Annual Magnitude of Poor Families in the Philippines<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn19" name="_ftnref19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[19]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">No. of Poor Families</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">1991</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3,554,878</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2006</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3,809,283</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2009</span></b></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">4,036,915</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2012</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">4,214,921</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Relevance:</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">With the basic needs as the priority of expenditure of families, persistence of poverty incidence in the country could mean lesser spending of people for health or medical services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The increasing number of poor families also means an increasing number of patients for government hospitals whose main thrust is to serve people who belong to poor families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>More people will seek medical care from government hospitals that offers medical services subsidized by the National Government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>This presents an opportunity for the QMMC to be able to serve more people.</span></div> <div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Increasing Philhealth Coverage Through the Implementation of Case Rate System and No Balance Billing Policy</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                 </span>In September 2011, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation implemented the New Case Rate System that standardized the cost of payment of medical services and surgical procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The case rate system assigns fixed rates that Philhealth reimburses for specific cases; thus, members will be able to know just how much Philhealth will be subsidizing for the medical services they have availed of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Moreover, this new system provides faster reimbursement of fees to health care providers such as government hospitals with significant reduction in the processing time of claim documents from 60 days to as fast as 10 days or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The following table shows the rates for medical cases and surgical procedures in the new system.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 8.Medical Case and Surgical Procedures Case Rates<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn20" name="_ftnref20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[20]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: -71.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" width="255"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Medical Cases</span></b></div> </td><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Case Rate in Pesos</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span lang="IT" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: IT;">Dengue I (Dengue fever, DHF grades I & II)</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">8,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: FR;">Dengue II (DHF grades III & IV)</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">16,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Pneumonia I (moderate risk)</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">15,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Pneumonia II (high risk)</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">32,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Essential Hypertension</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">9,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Cerebral Infarction (CVA-I)</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">28,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Cerebral Hemorrhage (CVA-II)</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">38,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE)</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">6,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Asthma</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">9,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Typhoid Fever</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">14,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Newborn Care Package in Hospitals and Lying in Clinics</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">1,750</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="height: 22pt;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; height: 22pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" width="255"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Surgical Procedures</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; height: 22pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 13;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Radiotherapy</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">3,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 14;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Hemodialysis</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">4,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 15;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Maternity Care Package (MCP)</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">8,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 16;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">NSD Package in Level I Hospitals</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">8,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 17;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">NSD Package in Levels 2 to 4 Hospitals</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">6,500</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 18;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Caesarean Section</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">19,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 19;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Appendectomy</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">24,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 20;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Cholecystectomy</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">31,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 21;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Dilatation and Curettage</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">11,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 22;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Thyroidectomy</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">31,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 23;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Herniorrhaphy</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">21,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 24;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Mastectomy</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">22,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 25;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Hysterectomy</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">30,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 26; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 191.3pt;" valign="top" width="255"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Cataract Surgery</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 130.5pt;" valign="top" width="174"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">16,000</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                 </span>The “No Balance Billing (NBB) Policy” is another benefit for sponsored members who are admitted in government hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Philhealth’s insurance coverage includes expenditures as per the benefits schedule up to a limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>Shall a patient-member exceed the ceiling; he or she shall cover for the additional costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">    </span>Under the NBB policy, however, the patient-member will not be charged with any fees or expenses beyond the stated package rate thereby providing financial risk protection to Filipinos especially those from poor families.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                 </span>NSCB Statistics also show that between 2000 and 2008, the number of Philhealth beneficiaries, comprising of members and their dependents, have significantly increased from 29,597 in 2000 to 68,869 in 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This increasing number of beneficiaries is reflected in the upward trend of NHIP coverage rate in the country from only 38.5% to 76.2% of the total Philippine Population in 2008.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 9. Number of active Philhealth Beneficiaries (Members & Dependents)<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn21" name="_ftnref21" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[21]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Total NHIP Beneficaries   in Thousands</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2000</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">29,597</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2001</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">36,744</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2002</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">43,565</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2003</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">42,401</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2004</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">69,506</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2005</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">54,599</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2006</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">68,403</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2007</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">64,467</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2008</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">68,669</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2009</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">81,178</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2010</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">69,984</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2011</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">78,386</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 13; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2012</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">77,669*</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Relevance:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                 </span>The upward trend of Philhealth coverage among Filipinos and Philhealth’s target of 100% will positively change the behavior of people towards seeking for medical services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>As people get well-informed of the benefits they could get from being a Philhealth member, more Filipinos especially the poor will take advantage of its utilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is further enhanced by the implementation of the case rate system and the no balance billing policy that allows people to estimate the amount that Philhealth shall cover for the medical expenses provided to them, thereby protecting them from financial risks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>More people seeking medical services and availing Philhealth benefits means more patients for government hospitals like the QMMC; thus, an opportunity for the hospital as well.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Increasing Gov’t Budget Appropriation for the Department of Health (DOH)</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Annually, the DOH Budget is developed initially with the Department of Budget Management’s (DBM) issuance of the budget call during the first quarter of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The DBM sets budget ceilings based on the availability of funds in the treasury and its estimated income for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The DOH, then, together with all other line agencies formulates their budget for the year based on the issued ceilings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The line agencies’ proposals will then be consolidated into a National Expenditure Program (NEP) and converted into a General Appropriations Bill that will undergo a deliberation by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The budget appropriated for DOH has significantly increased for the past five years from P18 billion in 2008 to P50 billion in 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is even expected to increase as the proposed budget for 2014 is at P80 billion indicated in the 2014 NEP<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn22" name="_ftnref22" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[22]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 10. Department of Health Annual Approriations<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn23" name="_ftnref23" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[23]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Annual Appropriation in Peso</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2008</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">18,912,010,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2009</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">23,666,655,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2010</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">24,649,765,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2011</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">31,828,616,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2012</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">42,155,963,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span>2013</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">50,442,299,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span>2014</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">80,171,300,000*</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                                         </span>Note: *Proposed DOH budget for 2014</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The increasing trend of government budget for DOH means more resources for government hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Greater resources will mean more and better health services to be offered for the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Greater subsidy received<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>from the government will allow for more capital spending on equipment and other facilities, and therefore, better quality of services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It is, thus, necessary that the DOH is able to maximize the spending of available resources provided for by the National Government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 13.5pt;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Technological</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Implementation of Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP)</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) is one of the banner programs of the Aquino Administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Its main goal is to improve basic and specialized health services providing trainings for health professionals and upgrading health facilities, thereby providing better quality health care<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn24" name="_ftnref24" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[24]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Primary health care facilities will be strengthened to become more responsive to the needs of the communities in their respective areas and be able to provide Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and Comprehensive Emergency and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>In 2007, the program started to receive a separate line budget item with P10 million allotted for Capital Outlay (CO) with continual significant increases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The CO budget increased from P1.6 billion to P3.2 billion in 2010 and even reached P7 billion in 2011<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn25" name="_ftnref25" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[25]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Moreover, its budget for DOH hospitals alone was at P6.6 billion for the year 2013<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn26" name="_ftnref26" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn26;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[26]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Relevance:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>The HFEP, with its thrust to upgrade health care facilities such as Barangay Health Stations (BHSs) and Regional Health Units (RHUs) including government hospitals nation-wide, will be able to enhance the country’s health facility network. Expansion of services could be achieved in tertiary hospitals enabling them to achieve higher quality level of service delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This program, therefore, presents an opportunity.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">           </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Growing Trend of IT in Health Industry</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>Globally, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">the application of Information and Communications Technology in the operations of health institutions has been the norm in the more developed countries for more than 2 decades. Hospital operations are supported in terms of health record systems management, inventory management, and accounting and financial management and inter-operational communications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Over the years, this trend has made available useful technologies for the health industry such as electronic health record software (EHR), personal health gadgets, telemedicine, clinical and billing software, health information exchange, and cloud services<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn27" name="_ftnref27" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn27;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[27]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">IT innovations will also improve population health management through which chronic conditions in patients in a hospital may be determined and related readmissions may be reduced thereby leading to cost savings and improved services for both patients and health care providers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Social/Cultural</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Increasing Population</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">                  </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) show that the Philippine population is 92.34 million based on the 2010 census results and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn28" name="_ftnref28" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn28;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[28]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The number shows that the population has increased to almost 16 million from the 2000 result of 76.5 million at a growth rate of 1.89% down from 2.34%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Using this growth rate recorded in 2010, it is estimated that the country has a population of around 98.73 million in 2013<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn29" name="_ftnref29" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn29;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[29]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">                 </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                  </span>According to the projections made by the NSO, the population will continue to increase and will reach around 141 million by the year 2014 at growth rate of 0.92%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This projection shows that 65 million people would be added to the Philippine population from 2000 to 2040, on the account that there will be a significant decrease in the average annual growth rate to 1% in 2030 to 2040 from 2.34% in 1990 to 2000.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">                 </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 11. Summary of Projected Philippine Population, by Five Year Interval: 2000-2040<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn30" name="_ftnref30" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn30;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[30]</span></b></span></span></span></a></span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Projected Philippine Population</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2000</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">76,946,500</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2005</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">85,261,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2010</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">94,013,200</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2015</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">102,965,300</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2020</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">111,784,600</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span>2025</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: .7pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 1.5pt;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">120,224,500</span></div> </td><td style="padding: 1.5pt;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"> <br /></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">             </span>2030</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">128,110,000</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2035</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">135,301,100</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">2040</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: .7pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 1.5pt;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">141,669,900</span></div> </td><td style="padding: 1.5pt;"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"> <br /></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Relevance:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">                    </span>The increasing trend of Philippine population presents an opportunity for the hospital industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The increasing population means more people will be needing medical or health services from health care providers such as government hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Since the main thrust of government hospitals like the QMMC is to deliver medical services to the people, more Filipinos will be served and therefore utilization of such institutions is maximized.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Health Seeking Behavior of Adolescents in the Philippines</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">                  </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Of the total population of the Philippines, it is estimated that around 20% is comprised of adolescents</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn31" name="_ftnref31" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn31;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[31]</span></b></span></span></span></b></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. In 2010, young people aged 10 to 24 years old accounts for an estimated 30.5% of the said total.</span></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; line-height: 24px;">Table 12. Number and Percentage of Young People by Age and Sex, Philippines 2010</span></b></div> <div align="center" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center"> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 87.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 160;"><tbody> <tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Year</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Total Number</span></b></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-style: solid none; border-top-color: rgb(75, 172, 198); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">% of Total Population</span></b></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">10-14</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">10,168,219</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">11.0</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">15-19</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">9,676,359</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">10.5</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;"><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">20-24</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">8,370,398</span></div> </td><td style="background: rgb(210, 234, 241); border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">10.0</span></div> </td></tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="border: 1pt solid; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 112.5pt;" valign="top" width="150"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Total</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">28,214,976</span></div> </td><td style="border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-color: initial; border-right-width: 1pt; border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 133.65pt;" valign="top" width="178"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">30.5</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>On the account of the total Philippine population, the number of young people in 2010 showed an increase since 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Its size, however, had slightly declined from 31.3% in the 2000 census<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn32" name="_ftnref32" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn32;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[32]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This proportion to the total population is expected to further decrease by the year 2025 to 27% with a total of approximately 32 million<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn33" name="_ftnref33" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn33;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[33]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">            </span>On the health seeking behaviour of adolescents in the country, latest report of the World Health Organization about the Philippines indicate that adolescents and young people are likely to care less in seeking medical or health care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is due to the fact that they have already surpassed childhood diseases and are not yet affected by the health problems that usually occur among the older population<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn34" name="_ftnref34" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn34;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[34]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>According to the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey in the Philippines, young people who seek primary care visited RHUs and BHSs more than other types of health facilities due to illness and injury and medical check up, the top two reasons of visits at 67.6% and 28.1%, respectively<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn35" name="_ftnref35" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn35;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[35]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The study also showed that those surveyed mentioned at least one problem in accessing health care with lack of money as the top reason at 56.8% among 15 to 19 year old women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is further supported by a survey conducted on health living of Filipinos by a large independent life insurance group. Results of the survey show that among the Filipino adults who were surveyed, only 53% have had a medical check up in the past 12 months. Moreover, according to the same study, their decision to visit health care providers was mainly influenced by the price of health care services that are perceived to be expensive<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn36" name="_ftnref36" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn36;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[36]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">If this trend will continue to increase in the future, diseases among this age group may not be detected and treated early and therefore lead to increases in the incidence of such diseases in the latter years. The following restrictions to the use of health services were also identified: lack of financial resources to pay for medicines and medical fees, lack of information on availment process of health benefits offered by the government and perception of poor quality of health services in the country<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn37" name="_ftnref37" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn37;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[37]</span></span></span></span></a>.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Environmental</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Persistence of Climate Change causing Increased Incidence of Diseases</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">                        </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">It is undeniable that the weather and climate affect our health as changes in weather/climate factors such as temperature, precipitation patterns and weather conditions could increase and spread diseases especially the climate-sensitive ones<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn38" name="_ftnref38" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn38;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[38]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Higher temperature not only increases mortality rates but also leads to higher levels of air and water pollutants that are dangerous to human health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In a report made by an environmentally concerned organization, global temperature is expected to increase to 4.9 degrees Celsius by the year 2100 if no action (business as usual) is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as shown in the graph below<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn39" name="_ftnref39" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn39;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[39]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Moreover, climate change leads to the occurrence of frequent extreme weather conditions such as stronger typhoons that poses threats to people with flash floods, extremely high winds and landslides among others.</span></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Factors of climate have an impact on human health because these are critical determinants of various diseases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Climate change could affect transmitters of diseases through food, water and even animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Because bacteria grow more rapidly in higher air temperatures, this could lead to higher incidence of food-borne diseases such as salmonella and bacteria-related food poisoning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With frequent heavy rainfall or flooding, contamination of water bodies with bacteria can causes disease such as gastroenteritis and infections.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The effects of climate change also increase the incidence of diseases such as Dengue, Malaria and even Leptospirosis transmitted by mosquitoes that thrive in stagnant waters and rats whose feces may contain pathogens.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftn40" name="_ftnref40" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn40;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">[40]</span></span></span></span></a> Increasing incidence of diseases also means an increase in the number of patients in hospitals; thus, providing an opportunity for hospitals to serve greater number of patients.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">A.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Positive and Negative Aspects</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Positive Aspects</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Economic Growth – This means more people can afford healthcare, more taxes paid and more revenues for the government for its health programs, health infrastructure and staffing pattern increase. This also spells additional funds for medical research and development.</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) – Philhealth is nearing its 100% coverage. That means the No Balance Billing for the greater percentage of Filipinos<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technology – The widening use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Telehealth and new generation equipment in hospitals and healthcare centers lead to efficient healthcare delivery and healthcare operations. Telemedicine offers wider dissemination of information and diagnosis and treatments for patients particularly in far-flung areas.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Negative Aspects</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Climate Change – Climate Change leads to the increase of diseases that are not endemic in other areas before such as Dengue and other water-borne diseases.</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">      </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Population Growth – The increase in population strains the healthcare infrastructure of the government in meeting the healthcare demand of the people. Also, population pressure leads to a higher population density wherein poor areas are the most vulnerable to diseases that are easily spread due to proximity. Also, these areas are the most prone to climate change related diseases.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /></div> <div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"> <br clear="all" /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /> <div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippine Peso.Trading Economics.<a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/currency">http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/currency</a>. Accessed on December 22, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> Peso Per US Dollar Rate. BangkoSentral ng Pilipinas.<a href="http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/spei_pub/Table%2024.pdf">http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/spei_pub/Table%2024.pdf</a>. Accessed on December 27, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a>Montecillo, Paolo.Peso seen appreciating to 40 to $1 in 2014. The Philippine Inquirer.October 10,2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>Montecillo, Paolo.Peso seen to strengthen against US Dollar. Philippine Inquirer.December 22,2013</div> </div> <div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a>Central Bank Rates.<a href="http://www.cbrates.com/">http://www.cbrates.com/</a> Accessed on December 27, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a>Inflation Report Third Quarter: 2013.Bangko Central ng Pilipinas.<a href="http://www.bsp.gov.ph/">www.bsp.gov.ph</a>.</div> </div> <div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[7]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippines Economic Forecast. 2013-2015 Outlook. Trading Economics.<a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/forecast">http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/forecast</a>. Accessed on December 27, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[8]</span></span></span></span></a>Inflation Report Third Quarter: 2013.Bangko Central ng Pilipinas.<a href="http://www.bsp.gov.ph/">www.bsp.gov.ph</a>.</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn9" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[9]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Source: National Statistical Coordination Board. 2013: Philippine Economy Posts 7.0 % GDP Growth in Q3 2013. </span><a href="http://www.nscb.gov.ph/sna/"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.nscb.gov.ph/sna/</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS PGothic"; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">. Accessed on December 28, 2013.</span></div> </div> <div id="ftn10" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[10]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippines Economic Forecast.<a href="http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/philippines/economic-forecast.html">http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/philippines/economic-forecast.html</a>. Accessed on December 28, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn11" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[11]</span></span></span></span></a>The World Bank.Philippine Economic Update. May 2013</div> </div> <div id="ftn12" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[12]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippines Economic Forecast. 2013-2015 Outlook. Trading Economics.<a href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/forecast">http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/forecast</a>. Accessed on December 27, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn13" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[13]</span></span></span></span></a> POEA: OFW Deployment by Occupation, Country and Sex – New Hires Full Year 2010. http://www.poea.gov.ph/stats/2010%20Deployment%20by%20Occupation,%20Destination%20and%20Sex%202010%20-%20New%20hires.pdf</div> </div> <div id="ftn14" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[14]</span></span></span></span></a>Matsuno, Ayaka. Nurse Migration: the Asian Perspective. International Labor Organization.<a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_160629.pdf">http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_160629.pdf</a>. Accessed on December 29, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn15" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[15]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">NCLEX in Manila open by mid-year.The Philippine STAR. 12 February 2007.</span></div> </div> <div id="ftn16" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[16]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.2008-2012 Overseas Employment Statistics.<a href="http://www.poea.gov.ph/stats/2012_stats.pdf">http://www.poea.gov.ph/stats/2012_stats.pdf</a>. Accessed on December 29, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn17" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[17]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistical Coordination Board.Poverty Statistics-Press Relaease.<a href="http://www.nscb.gov.ph/pressreleases/2013/NSCB-PR-20131213_povertypress.asp">http://www.nscb.gov.ph/pressreleases/2013/NSCB-PR-20131213_povertypress.asp</a>. December 9, 2013. Accessed on December 31, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn18" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref18" name="_ftn18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[18]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistical Coordination Board.Poverty Statistics. December 9, 2013. Accessed on December 31, 2013</div> </div> <div id="ftn19" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref19" name="_ftn19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[19]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistical Coordination Board.Poverty Statistics. December 9, 2013. Accessed on December 31, 2013</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn20" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref20" name="_ftn20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[20]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Special Benefit Packages:Case Rates. <a href="http://www.philhealth.gov.ph/members/special_package/case_rates.htm">http://www.philhealth.gov.ph/members/special_package/case_rates.htm</a>. Accessed on December 31, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn21" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref21" name="_ftn21" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn21;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[21]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistical Coordination Board.Philippine National Health Accounts.</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn22" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref22" name="_ftn22" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn22;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[22]</span></span></span></span></a>Department of Budget Management.National Expenditure Program 2014.</div> </div> <div id="ftn23" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref23" name="_ftn23" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn23;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[23]</span></span></span></span></a>Department of Budget Management.General Appropriations Act 2008-2013.</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn24" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref24" name="_ftn24" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn24;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[24]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">DOH Department Order no. 2008-0162 entitled, “Guidelines and Procedures for the Implementation of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Government Hospital Upgrading Project under the CY2008 Health Facilities Enhancement Program Funds of the DOH” dated 7 July 2008.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn25" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref25" name="_ftn25" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn25;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[25]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Improvement of the Implementation Procedures and Management Systems for Health Facilities Enhancement Grant of the DOH</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn26" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref26" name="_ftn26" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn26;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[26]</span></span></span></span></a>Health Facilities Enhancement Program.Department of Health.www.doh.gov.ph. Accessed on November 24, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn27" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref27" name="_ftn27" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn27;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[27]</span></span></span></span></a>CIO.13 Healthcare and IT Trends and Predictions in 2013.<a href="http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/83055#slide13">http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/83055#slide13</a>. Accessed on December 29, 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn28" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref28" name="_ftn28" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn28;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[28]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistics Office.<a href="http://www.nso.gov.ph/">www.nso.gov.ph</a>.</div> </div> <div id="ftn29" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref29" name="_ftn29" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn29;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[29]</span></span></span></span></a>World Population Review.The Philippine Population 2013.<a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/the-philippines-population/">http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/the-philippines-population/</a>. Accessed on January 2, 2014.</div> </div> <div id="ftn30" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref30" name="_ftn30" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn30;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[30]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistics Office.Population Projections.<a href="http://www.nso.gov.ph/">www.nso.gov.ph</a></div> </div> <div id="ftn31" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref31" name="_ftn31" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn31;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[31]</span></span></span></span></a>United Nations Statistics Division.Demographic Yearbook 2008.</div> </div> <div id="ftn32" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref32" name="_ftn32" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn32;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[32]</span></span></span></span></a>National Statistics Office.Philippine Census 2000 and 2010.</div> </div> <div id="ftn33" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref33" name="_ftn33" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn33;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[33]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Inter-Agency Working Group on Population Projections. Republic of the Philippines: National Statistics Office. </span><a href="http://www.bles.dole.gov.ph/2009%2520Publications/2009%2520YLS/statistical%2520tables/Chapter%252001/TAB1-3.PDF"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">www.bles.dole.gov.ph/2009%2520Publications/2009%2520YLS/statistical%2520tables/Chapter%252001/TAB1-3.PDF</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">. Accessed on October 5, 2012.</span></div> </div> <div id="ftn34" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref34" name="_ftn34" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn34;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[34]</span></span></span></span></a>World Health Organization.Health of Adolescents in the Philippines.<a href="http://www.wpro.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/philippines_fs.pdf">http://www.wpro.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/philippines_fs.pdf</a>. Accessed on January 2, 2014.</div> </div> <div id="ftn35" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref35" name="_ftn35" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn35;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[35]</span></span></span></span></a>Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey 2008.</div> </div> <div id="ftn36" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref36" name="_ftn36" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn36;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[36]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Philam Life Insurance. AIA's Healthy Living Index Survey Uncovers: Filipinos Very Concerned About Modern Day Health Hazards Such as Pollution, Obesity and Food Safety. Media Release dated November 8, 2013.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <br /></div> </div> <div id="ftn37" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref37" name="_ftn37" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn37;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[37]</span></span></span></span></a>Cetrangolo, Oscar. Health Care In the Philippines: Challenges and Ways Forward. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung 2013.</div> </div> <div id="ftn38" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&pli=1#_ftnref38" name="_ftn38" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn38;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[38]</span></span></span></span></a> United States Environmental Protection Agency. Human Health.<a href="http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html">http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html</a>. 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Accessed on January 2, 2014.</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <br /></div> </div> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&postID=208683116534900505452&target=facebook" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9Bov-5jxblscorzGCopVL5Xz68i6dvP9jIudFNjEHqR8MMdmVfysddhDjGUhuvlerb67aHnfQDJEUeUQZ5kjo_Wx4ig1t1Up2WOpNkMj-NaNLwPtxqdA3ez_SOd-1IwiRZWwI2BCbpA/s1600/sharefb185.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=5544835517721897626&postID=208683116534900505452&target=twitter" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMggqAn9B6n_ue3iBOqDQgfJmfpRxWvLyKJRt7IFP17wasPqRAsizTNNHpZHUKMuDMZm5A4duwa4m0IFs-cBh79J03YQVVToXxjf2LZ6qNn4CyLwa8Wy-c4jj2UC8QFH081Ja_q0iaXdM/s1600/sharetw185.png" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div>

EMR Equipment Featured Health IT Healthcare Cost Policy Technology Status of the Philippine Healthcare System

Strengthening Peso In Relation to United States (U.S.) Dollar             The current market price for which one currency can be traded for another is called an exchange rate[1].  For example, if the U.S. Dollar exchange rate for the Philippine Peso…

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