DFA South Office opens in Muntinlupa

Muntinlupeños now have further reason to be thankful as getting a passport to travel or work abroad is now easier, with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) setting up shop literally at the City’s doorstep.

Secretary Albert del Rosario and Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi recently presided over the opening of the DFA-National Capital Region (NCR) South Office located at the posh Alabang Town Center in the City’s commercial and business district.

“We are truly thankful that the DFA decided to set up their operations here in our City,” Fresnedi said. “We are very grateful as we have been requesting this for some time, to meet the need of our constituents.”

The DFA-NCR South Office offers passport processing and renewal services, and provides important information to queries regarding DFA services. It is expected to make passport services more accessible to Muntinlupeños as well as citizens from nearby cities and municipalities as well.

During Fresnedi’s first term, in 2004, the City Government through its Public Employment Services Office (PESO) pioneered the Mobile Passport Services, where specialists from the DFA visited the City on a quarterly basis to process a certain number of passports that could be released within the day.

Due to increasing demand from Muntinlupeños and those coming from Southern Luzon, and with a view of reducing congestion at the DFA Main Office in Pasay City, Fresnedi asked the DFA to provide for a permanent office in Muntinlupa.

Fresnedi’s request and dream have finally come true after nine years.

“This is especially helpful to us, as our PESO now offers openings from companies providing opportunities for work abroad,” Fresnedi added. “With the arrival of the DFA in our City, we are now a step closer to making our global footprint even stronger, as we encourage our citizens to avail of the services of the DFA.”

Ospital ng Muntinlupa in critical condition

The City’s primary tertiary public hospital is in serious trouble—and is in need of intensive care.

A comprehensive inventory of the Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) has revealed massive deficiencies, questionable practices, and facilities in various states of neglect and disrepair as a result of apparent mismanagement in the last six years.

“It is truly unfortunate that our very own hospital, meant to help Muntinlupeños who need health care, is now in a very serious condition,” Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi said. “The state of OsMun is truly unbelievable, but we need to work hard and fast to make sure that our hospital is able to meet the needs of our citizens.”

Based on a report from OsMun submitted to the mayor, the hospital has as much as Php9,437,376.26 of unaccounted income and Php1,302,059.45 worth of ghost deliveries. This is on top of contracts with outside suppliers that are either unfavorable to OsMun or not supported by contracts at all.

The inventory also revealed that most major services such as Radiology, Laboratory, Pulmonary Units, Dialysis, Dietary, and Security are outsourced; moreover, the hospital Pharmacy and Medical Supplies are significantly lacking, leading to a dependence on outside suppliers.

The problem with these outsourced services is that almost all of these are not properly supervised and accounting is spotty. The report found out that the hospital’s Financial Report does not tally with reports from OsMun’s different units.

Other questionable practices include collections by the hospital Cashier for services at the Hearing Unit that use an outside supplier’s receipt instead of OsMun’s, with 80% of the fees collected going directly to the supplier. The hospital’s radiology consultant, as well as security guards, receives payment even if not regularly available and rendering only a few services.

And then there are the facilities, all in various states of disrepair and neglect. Hospital beds, surgical instruments, and equipment such as endoscopy and x-ray machines all need repair, while vital equipment mandated by the Department of Health such as cardiac monitors, defibrillators, laryngoscopes, ambubags, and emergency carts are nowhere to be found.

Donations such as a computer set and telefax from concerned individuals and groups are nowhere to be found, while more than 7,000 pieces of donated or purchased equipment were left unused in the hospital’s stockrooms and allowed to expire.

An ominous sign in the report is that out of OsMun’s 2013 operating budget of Php224,000,000.00, only Php84,345,807.56 remain, which is not enough to cover salaries, utilities, and payments to suppliers.

Fresnedi assured Muntinlupeños that he will not allow OsMun to die out. “We are working to restore services offered by OsMun, such as subsidies to indigent patients, and to ensure quality health care for all Muntinlupeños.”

During Fresnedi’s first term, OsMun offered subsidies of up to 75% to Muntinlupa residents and was ably supported by partnerships with the private sector, ensuring a steady flow of quality equipment and supplies. It also had competitive rates, allowing OsMun to have leading practitioners to ensure proper health care for citizens.