... National Objectives for Health (NOH) The :-J(JH :2005-2r J1<J is an importa. nt tlocument that re-Jkc..1:S the i\IUG'i. MTPDP, HSRt,,ind Fi. It includes a stalcmc:nt of vision, mission, principles. )?. oa Js and objectives, ke\· iuc. i-. larg. :ts. inc. lic:. itrirs and slntlcgics l J hring the health sector tn its desir<:d ou. tc:om. :. '> (http://www. do h. gov. ph/noh). Till' t:i~irm oft he STOl i is"hcalth for all Fili 11i110s-,md the mission is toensureacct:. ssibility nnu qvalitv of health care to impro,·e the quality of lifo of all Filipinos. e.,-. pecially the por,r. Tlw hasir. : pr111cip/es arl!: ( 1) fostering a i,trong and healthy naf ion: (:l) enh;im:ing 1..he perfommm:e nf the health scc:lnr; (i) ensuring univcn,:il ac:cess tr J quality esscnti,tl health care; anti. (,i J impmvin~ rnac:ro-econornic: anti sncial comlitio 11s fr Jr heucr healtli g. si11s. Th!! g<1ol~. ire: (1) better hc;1lth uult. :1Jrnes: (2) more n:spvn~ivc lil·alth ~\·stem:,1tl, (;. i) mr,rc L-quitahlc health t,1rc financing. Th,· medium-l <:n11 t J/. Jjectiul!s a·rc tfl: (1) ""'cure i11cr EOa,-,ed. bct1era11d ~uswi11cc J in,·estmcnu, in 111:,Jllh: (~J assure Lhe qu,ilit-y and,iffordahililv 1;f bf'allh goods and services: (:3) improve the accessibility and nv:-iil;ihility of hasi<: and es.,ential bcallh c. tre for all; (3) Improve health syst1::ms pcrfonnance at the m1tiom1I and local levels. Devolution of health services One of the most significant laws that radic. 1lly d1a. nged the landsc. ipc of health care delivery in t. he country is RA 7160 or more commonly known as the Local Go,·emmenl 0:>de. The Code aims to: transform local government units into self­ reliant communilies and active partners in the attainment of national gorus th. rough a more re. sponsi,·t: and accountable lo Cc!I governmen t structure instituted through a system of dct:e11Lr..Jjza Ljon. Throughout the country, there are about 79 pro\inces,113 cities, 1,496 munici-pa lities. and 41, 943 harangays. (http://www. do h,gou. ph/kp/ statistics /no_cities_prou). In 1993. health sen ices were de\'oked or transferred from the Department of Health to the local go.-crnmenl uniu,--all pn,,incial. district nnd municipal ho"!)itals to the provincial gm·emments and the rural health unirs (Rl:!Us) and barangay health stalions (BHSs) lo the municipal governments. In 1999 there were 2,381 RH Us and 11. 39:{ BHSs (Baut. ista et al., 2002:t9). Each province, city and municipality has a Local He. ilth Roard (LE-1B). This body is a gootl \'enue for making the local health system more respons1\·e to the needs of the people. Tt is mandated to propose annual budgetary allocations for the operation and maintenance of health facilities and services "ithin the municipa Jjt y, city or province. At the prmincial le\·el. it is composed of the: governor (chair), pro,incial health officer (Yice chair), chairman of the Committe e Oil Health of the Sanggunfang Panlala"igan, DOH representative and NGO representati\'e. At the city und rnunjc;ipal level, the LHB is composed of the follo\\ing: mayor (chair), municipal health ofncer (vice chair). chair of the Committee on Health of the Sangguniang Bayan. DO A representative an<l NGO representati\ ·e. Al the municipal le\·el, many public bealth nurses hnve been appointed as DOH representati\'es. This means that they ha\·e been retained br the DOH. Many of them. howe\'er. perform dual functions-those of a public. health nurse und those of a DOH representative. l'\[any of the local go\'ernruent units-cannot afford-to hire a 25 