SOH is a shameless “JUNKET QUEEN” ‘Do not shortchange the government. You work and don’t take long breaks’. (PDU30)
Those were the words uttered by President Duterte in Tacloban in commemoration of typhoon Yolanda. But as an email of DOH Officers and employees so aptly says, while she was in the audience when he said this, perhaps she was “sleeping or busy counting her mabuhay miles” as she keeps doing that which the president has categorically said government officials should not do.
SOH Paulyn Ubial is a shameless junket queen whose non-stop trips both locally and internationally have taken the place of legitimate work. This has been her practice ever since she was an Assistant Regional Director, a Regional Director and an ASEC, and it has only worsened now that she is SOH. The result? : – a DOH without direction; (this is the truth despite all press releases and her glossy false claims at achievements) – increased red tape and poor service from the DOH and its attached agencies; – portal systems in both Philhealth and FDA that have stopped working properly, as can be attested to by hospitals , clinics, and doctors; thereby affecting delivery of service; – delayed issuance of licenses to operate to hospitals throughout the country for many reasons, but among others being that the DOH refused to do any accreditation in the entire month of December; (Annex B,C,D) – Harassed and demoralized DOH regional directors who are forced to “create events” just to justify her travels and who have to spend their meager resources just to accommodate the SOH and her large entourage that almost always includes her husband, her son, her extended family such as aunts, nephews and nieces, and numerous staff from the central office.
And in order to buy loyalty and keep her detractors within the DOH at bay, officers and staff of the DOH are now also engaging in useless junketing instead of working; with funding courtesy of NGOs, foremost of which is the giant Bloomberg Foundation of New York and other smaller groups such as Health Justice.
The only Secretary who was able to visit 6 countries in her first two months in office, surely, hers is a record to keep. Taking advantage of any invitation that comes her way, regardless of whether it will bring benefit to the Philippines or not; whether she will be used because of her position and will be an instrument to make policy statements to cater to her friends and donors – all of these does not matter for Sec Ubial. When her attention has been called by different officers and friends, her usual response is “Some travels are not paid by DOH. I will have my way”. Further research of her work habits will reveal that since entering government service, the 27 years of experience she is boasting about is full of years of networking with different NGOs and Civil Society Groups here and abroad so that she can avail of seminars, conferences and travels. If the Philippine government pays for her, then the NGO pays for her family member or friend or relative. If in office, she consumes most of her time playing computer games during meetings and office hours.
But there is no such thing as a free lunch… Perhaps we should start looking into the 60 non-performing consultants that she has placed in the DOH OSEC, and the other consultants that she is forcing Philhealth to get under very questionable circumstances, despite the protestations of the officers of Philhealth. Putting up an additional office of the Secretary in Davao, Philippine Blood Center, PITAHC, Philhealth, Kidney Center, Heart Center and San Lazaro makes her appear very busy and occupied with work . In truth, this is an excuse for her to hire friends and relatives regardless of qualifications. Its all politics and PR for SOH Ubial.
IN short, SOH Ubial is corrupting the people inside the DOH just to buy peace to allow her and her family to continue their junkets instead of doing her work; and she has prostituted the department to external funding agencies whose interests she has to serve in exchange for maintaining her “lifestyle”. The end result is chaos and the short changing of the Filipino people. Proof of this? When Execom Members conveyed their concern for her useless local travels, she decided to call for an Execom Meeting in Davao during the wedding anniversary of Usec Bravo last January. Announcing that President Duterte will be there and they will be “kumpadre-kumare”, many DOH officers attended. It was a festive MONDAY for DOH. Social media was swarmed with photos of glamorously dressed Government Officials headed by Sec Ubial in a posh hotel in Davao. To add icing on the cake, the reception was swarmed with all suppliers and contractors of DOH central office, DOH Regional Offices and DOH Hospitals.To add to the excitement, she has directed all Directors and Hospital Chiefs to choose where to have a retreat AGAIN. Coron or Batanes (both by Father Robert Reyes). This, despite the spiritual lecture conducted in Dumaguete by Father Robert Reyes attended by hundreds of DOH officials and 2 vans full of SOH relatives. Of course, charged to the Sin Taxes. It has been a nightmare for many working DOH employees because the SOH loves to have meetings and seminars in exciting places where there is no big venue to house all participants and reduce costs on transportation and others.
While previous National Staff Meetings were conducted in big cities where accommodation, preparations thru the presence of a regional office, logistical aspects were considered, venues of NSM are now dictated by the family and travel buddies of SOH Ubial. From Dumaguete to Baguio and then to Siargao in the next few weeks, we cannot concentrate on our offices anymore. Added to this, each region who can add political strength to her will be visited frequently, promised a lot of things with the SOH always bragging that “Digong forced her to assume the post despite her repeated refusal”. Believing in her closeness to the President and with her every move dropping the name of the President, governors, congressmen and mayors are treating her like a queen in their place, hoping to convey good words to the President. Once she leaves, the DOH Regional Office seems more confused. Now, the quota has been issued: at least two international travels for Sec Ubial per month. On February, she, with her entourage will be leaving for Sri Lanka to attend a discussion on Migrant Workers and OFWs and will again travel to Mexico by the end of February to attend a conference on Sugar Drinks and Sweets. Bon voyage!