Legal basis and governing authority
- The President issues the Letter of Instructions by virtue of the powers vested in me by law.
- The instruction directs the Minister of Health and all Ministry of Health officials and personnel to implement the required program reforms.
National policy thrust and intent
- The attainment of health for all Filipinos is established as a means and an end of the overall national development program of the New Society.
- The Ministry of Health is directed to integrate its health and health-related activities with other activities of the overall national development program of the New Society.
- The Ministry of Health is required to supervise and coordinate health and health-related activities within the Philippines and align them with national development integration.
Required health development at community level
- The Minister of Health must design, develop, and implement programs with a focus on health development at the community level, particularly in rural areas.
- The required community focus includes strengthening health care delivery at primary levels and immediate support systems at secondary levels.
- The required community focus includes developing a strong primary health care system in coordination/cooperation with all Ministries and agencies engaged in social, political and economic development.
- The required community focus includes lowering the cost of drugs.
- The required community focus includes rotation and increase of medical service personnel.
Systems and operational use for disease control
- The Minister of Health must effectively utilize the health systems to control or eradicate immediate and specific health problems confronting Filipino communities.
- The operational use requirement includes strengthening and re-orienting existing specific programs in family planning, nutrition, malaria eradication, schistosomiasis control, cancer control, and others so these conform to the thrust of the peripheral services.
- The operational use requirement includes developing a plan to eradicate tuberculosis through a strong program interpreted with health development at community levels.
Organizational redesign and central-level support
- The Minister of Health must redirect and re-orient the organization of all its agencies at the central level to provide efficient and adequate administrative, planning, and other support services for health development.
- The required central-level support includes strengthening staff functions and capabilities.
- The required central-level support includes streamlining programs of activities.
Budget review and priority-based funding
- The Minister of Health must review all projected expenditures within the Ministry’s budget, including expenditures for projects funded from external sources.
- The review must ensure that the Ministry’s financial resources are distributed according to priorities dictated by the Letter of Instructions.
Instructional scope and coverage limits
- The Letter of Instructions directs compliance by the Minister of Health and all officials and personnel of the Ministry of Health.
- The required program reforms apply within the context of the Ministry of Health’s supervision and coordination of health and health-related activities within the Philippines.
- The community-level reforms are particularly emphasized for rural areas and for immediate and specific health problems confronting Filipino communities.