Latest news with #PhilHealth
Daily Tribune
an hour ago
- General
- Daily Tribune
Focus on essential healthcare updates for Filipinos
A town hall meeting on PhilHealth services and updates took place on May 30, 2025, at the Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy, Manama offering essential information to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and members of the Filipino community. Among the organizations represented during the discussion were Good Cause Bahrain, led by Antonette Guese Avila; Pinay Ikaw Na (PIN), headed by its president Dinah Sta. Ana; LBC Express Bahrain, represented by Dhela Solidad; Alpha Kappa Rho International Humanitarian Service Fraternity and Sorority – Juffair Chapter; and the Filipino Writers' Circle (Filwrite) president, Cecil Ancheta. The event high lighted the government's dedication to supporting its citizens abroad by keeping them informed about their healthcare benefits. It was attended by Her Excellency Anne Jalando-on Louis, Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain, along with embassy officials, including Administrative Officer, Mr. Virgilio Pasive Jr. and Ms. Cellia V. Cabadonga, Officer-in-Charge of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). In her address, Ambassador Louis thanked all the guest specially the Filipino community members, for showing up, even on a Friday, which is usually a day off for many. Under the PhilHealth presentation topic, she emphasized the value of information sharing. She asked audience to use the facts they gained from the session and relay it to their respective communities. This appeal helped to highlight the ripple effect of awareness, hoping that by sharing the information, more people would be enabled to access PhilHealth effectively and appeal for their health care needs. Overseas employment Realizing the temporary nature of overseas employment, Ambassador Louis advised OFWs to regularly keep themselves enrolled in OWWA, PhilHealth, SSS, and Pag-IBIG. Foreign employment may have an advantage of being able to earn immediately, but it is also essential to spend on saving for the future. Active participation in these top-priority Philippine institutions provides OFWs with access to vital benefits. The visiting delegation from the Philippines was led by Mr. Gregorio C. Rulloda, PhilHealth Philippine Ambassador, H.E. Anne Jalando-on Louis, speaks at the event Vice President for Mindanao.
GMA Network
8 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Senators seek increase in PhilHealth's anti-rabies coverage
Two senators asked the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to increase its package for anti-rabies vaccination amid the rising rabies cases. In a hearing on Tuesday, Senator Bong Go said some patients might have hesitation about availing of anti-rabies shots because of the costs. 'Baka ang mga kababayan natin sa takot ayaw na magpa-injection dahil mahal ang babayaran. Lalo na pag talagang positibo na kailangan nila magpa-inject. Baka maaring taasan nyo ang inyong coverage para hindi matakot ang ating mga kababayan na magpa-injection at magpa-gamot dahil may PhilHealth na masasandalan nila,' said Go, chairperson of the Senate Committe on Health. (Perhaps our countrymen are scared of the injection because the fees are expensive. There really is a need for vaccination, especially when they test positive. Perhaps there can be an increase in coverage so that our countrymen would no longer be scared of vaccination and treatment because they can depend on PhilHealth.) 'Ang bilis, ang bilis niyan. Hindi yan pwedeng sandali…. Dapat punta kaagad sa hospital, punta kaagad sa health center, check-up kaagad. At kung kailangan magpa-injection, injection kaagad. Dapat tumugon kaagad ang gobyerno dahil buhay po rito ang nakataya dito,' he added. (It's so fast. They can't delay… You would have to immediately head to a hospital or to a health center for a check-up. If you need an injection, you need to be vaccinated right away. The government has to respond right away because there are lives at stake.) In an advisory in March 2025, PhilHealth noted that its current Animal Bite Package covers P5,850 for vaccinations. Some hospitals offer free vaccinations for humans, while local government offices also offer free vaccinations for pets. Senator Raffy Tulfo said that local government units must allot a budget for anti-rabies vaccinations for both animals and humans. Two rabies deaths occurred within a month —a man who died nine months after the bite and a woman who was bitten two months ago. The two did not avail themselves of anti-rabies shots. In 2024, the DOH reported a total of 426 rabies-related deaths and emphasized the need for pet vaccinations and increased rabies awareness. Meanwhile, Go also asked the Department of Budget and Management to settle the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) payouts of health workers. 'Unahin niyo bayaran ang mga appeals ng health emergency allowances. Yung mga health workers natin na nagsakripisyo at nakipagpatayan sa atin ng panahon ng pandemya. Kung totoo naman na pinaghirapan nila at pinagtrabahuan nila, sana gawan nyo po ito ng paraan,' he said. (Prioritize paying the appeals of health emergency allowances. Our health workers have sacrificed and faced the frontlines for us during the pandemic. If it is true that they have worked for this, I hope something could be done.) 'Services rendered po yan, pinagpawisan po yan, pinaghirapan po yan ng ating mga health workers. Sila po ang hero ng pandemya. Di natin mararating ito kung hindi dahil sa kanila. Ibigay po what is due,' he continued. (These are rendered services, toiled with sweat and hard work by our health workers. They are the heroes of the pandemic. We will not be able to get here without them. Give them what is due.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Lawmakers: PhilHealth excess funds could have been used to save more lives
Lawmakers raised concerns over the excess funds that PhilHealth had returned to the Bureau of National Treasury during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography on Tuesday. In the hearing, committee chair Senator Bong Go said that the P89.9 billion excess funds could have been used to increase benefits or coverage for Filipinos. He reiterated that PhilHealth was an insurance institution instead of a business that needed to build profit, and that their lack of coverage may have pushed Filipinos to refuse treatment due to anticipated expenses. 'Matagal ko na po sinasabi kung ginastos ng PhilHealth ang pondo ninyo noon para sa pasyente, wala na po sana kayong sobrang pondo na ibinalik sa National Treasury. Kung ginamit niyo ang inyong pondo to expand benefit packages and increase case rates, ilang pasyente na po ang nasalba o ilang buhay na po ang inyong nasalba dito sa mga pondong ito,' said Go. (For the longest time, I've been saying that if PhilHealth used their funds for their patients before, they could've had no more excess funds to return to the National Treasury. If they only used those funds to expand benefit packages and increase case rates, they could have saved so many more patients or lives with these funds.) 'Marami pong mga kababayan natin takot magpa-hospital, takot magpa-check-up dahil sa kahirapan. Yung iba po hindi nila alam na member sila ng PhilHealth… Kung alam lang nila na tutulungan sila ng PhilHealth sa pagpapa-hospital, hindi po sana nangyari yan. So, wala pong dahilan na ibalik niyo ang inyong pondo sa National Treasury habang naghihirap pa yung mga kababayan natin. Gamitin niyo po to expand your benefit packages. Ang dami pong sakit,' he urged. (So many of our countrymen are scared to be hospitalized, scared to get check-ups because of poverty. Others don't even know that they are members of PhilHealth… If only they knew that PhilHealth can help them when they get hospitalized, that wouldn't have happened. There should have been no reason to return those funds to the National Treasury while our countrymen are suffering. Use those to expand your benefit packages. There are so many diseases.) The committee chair noted that there had been several instances of patients who have suffered through critical conditions or passed away without being able to receive the benefits that should have been offered by PhilHealth. As a result, he expressed support for the reduction of Philhealth's contributions as they had too much excess funds that they weren't using for benefits. 'Kung taasan niyo ang benepisyo ninyo, dagdagan niyo ang benepisyo ng mga kababayan natin, hindi magmamakaawa yung mga pasyente. Hindi yan magihihirap magmamakaawa, hingi ng tulong sa mga politiko. Dapat PhilHealth na yan… Bakit magmamakaawa ang Pilipino? Pera ng Pilipino yan, pera natin yan, pera ninyo yan. Dapat mapakinabangan yan at wala pinipili,' he said. (If you only raise your benefits and add more benefits to our countrymen, the patients wouldn't have to beg. They wouldn't have to suffer and ask for mercy, or ask help from politicians. That should have been under PhilHealth… Why would the Filipinos need to beg? That is the money of the Filipinos, our money, your money. That should be enjoyed without any discrimination.) 'Dapat pag-aralan ng PhilHealth kung paano kayo makasabay ang inyong benepisyo sa actual hospitalization costs. We also urge PhilHealth to look into other packages that must be developed and enhanced… Patay na yung pasyente, hindi pa niya napakinabangan, nalugi pa siya sa kanyang binayad. Kasi kung insurance ito, kaya nga tayo nagbabayad ng insurance para insured tayo, kampante tayo na mabalik sa atin at magagamit natin sa tuwing tayo ang nangangailangan,' he added. (PhilHealth should look into how the benefits could help with actual hospitalization costs. We also urge PhilHealth to look into other packages that must be developed and enhanced… The patient is already dead, they couldn't reap the benefits, and experienced loss with the fees that they paid. If this is insurance, then isn't the reason why we pay is to be insured and assured that it will return and be used everytime we need help?) Go's sentiments were echoed by Senator Raffy Tulfo, who claimed he had seen a public hospital with a cashier for services not covered by PhilHealth. Tulfo questioned the coverages, noting that remaining expenses pushed Filipinos to depend on ayudas and politicians for help on issues that should have been covered by the agency. 'Bakit kailangan mamigay ang politiko ng ayuda na galing sa gobyerno para pampagamot ng mga mahihirap na kababayan when in fact kaya naman gawin ng gobyerno yan? Bakit kinakailang idaan pa sa politiko?… It happens all the time,' Tulfo said. (Why do politicians need to distribute ayuda from the government to cure the poor Filipinos, when in fact the government themselves could do that? Why do we need to go through politicians?... It happens all the time.) The P89.9 billion excess PhilHealth funds have been consistently questioned by the government since 2024, expressing concern over the unused and idle funds amid repeated increased budget requests and increased contribution requirements. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in 2024, said that the excess funds would be used to increase salaries and benefits of government workers as per the list of priority programs under unplanned appropriations. In 2025, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto stated that they used P60 billion of said excess funds for the following health-related projects: P27.45 billion to pay the allowances of COVID-19 frontliners P10 billion to the Social Programs for Health to provide medical assistance to poor Filipinos P3.37 billion for the establishment of three DOH facilities P4.1 billion to strengthen existing DOH facilities P1.6 billion to the Health Facilities Enhancement Program P13.00 billion to fund the government counterpart financing for foreign-assisted infrastructure and social determinants for health projects. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Filipino Times
PhilHealth town hall meeting empowers OFWs with essential healthcare updates
A town hall meeting on PhilHealth services and updates took place on May 30, 2025, at the Sentro Rizal, Philippine Embassy, Manama, offering essential information to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and members of the Filipino community. The event highlighted the government's dedication to supporting its citizens abroad by keeping them informed about their healthcare benefits. It was attended by Her Excellency Anne Jalando-on Louis, Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain, along with embassy officials, including Administrative Officer, Mr. Virgilio Pasive Jr., and Ms. Cellia V. Cabadonga, Officer-in-Charge of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO). Her Excellency Anne Jalando-on Louis, Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain In her address, Ambassador Louis thanked all the guests, especially the Filipino community members, for showing up, even on a Friday, which is usually a day off for many. Under the PhilHealth presentation topic, she emphasized the value of information sharing. She asked the audience to use the facts they gained from the session and relay them to their respective communities. This appeal helped to highlight the ripple effect of awareness, hoping that by sharing the information, more people would be enabled to access PhilHealth effectively and appeal for their health care needs. Realizing the temporary nature of overseas employment, Ambassador Louis advised OFWs to regularly keep themselves enrolled in OWWA, PhilHealth, SSS, and Pag-IBIG. Foreign employment may have the advantage of being able to earn immediately, but it is also essential to spend on saving for the future. Active participation in these top-priority Philippine institutions provides OFWs with access to vital benefits. The visiting delegation from the Philippines was led by Mr. Gregorio C. Rulloda, PhilHealth Vice President for Mindanao. He provided the attendees with a comprehensive overview of the full spectrum of health insurance benefits available to members and their beneficiaries, with a strong emphasis on the reforms introduced under the historic Universal Health Care (UHC) Law (Republic Act No. 11223). The session clearly demonstrated how UHC provides Filipinos with access to basic health care services without the burden of cost. The Philhealth team includes Anshari M. Mangondato, Planning Officer, Michael N. Tomas, Social Insurance Assistant, and Roberto B. Cuison, Administrative Services Assistant. Following the presentation, an open forum was a precious chance for the participants to interact with PhilHealth representatives directly. One of the attendees, Bryan Domingo, an OFW who works at Power Up, had the opportunity to raise questions. He expressed his concerns and shared his experience as a member of the health insurance program. The PhilHealth delegation visited Bahrain from May 25 to May 30 as part of an overseas service mission designed to address a range of inquiries from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the area. During their visit, the team interacted with the Filipino population to offer valuable information regarding health insurance benefits and services to ensure that OFWs could obtain the required assistance for their health issues. The town hall session proved to be successful, serving as an effective platform for interaction between government officials and Filipino foreign workers. It supports the Philippine government's efforts in disseminating adequate information and offering assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Among the organizations represented during the discussion were Good Cause Bahrain, led by Antonette Guese Avila; Pinay Ikaw Na (PIN), headed by its president Dinah Sta. Ana, LBC Express Bahrain, represented by Dhela Solidad; Alpha Kappa Rho International Humanitarian Service Fraternity and Sorority – Juffair Chapter; and the Filipino Writers' Circle (Filwrite) president, Cecil Ancheta. The program was presided over by Ms. Lucia Ramirez, Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Officer. -Cecil Ancheta
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
PhilHealth CEO Mercado submits courtesy resignation
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) acting president and CEO Dr. Edwin Mercado has submitted his courtesy resignation amid the ongoing post-midterm polls executive overhaul of the Marcos administration. 'Bilang pagsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay nagsumite na ng kaniyang courtesy resignation ang aming acting president and CEO Dr. Edwin M. Mercado,' PhilHealth said in a statement. (In accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand Jr., our acting president and CEO Dr. Edwin Mercado submitted his courtesy resignation.) His resignation came after the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) directed state-run firms' non-ex-officio chairpersons, chief executive officers (CEOs), and all appointive directors/trustees/members of their respective GOCCs' governing boards to immediately submit their courtesy resignations to the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary. Mercado, an orthopedic surgeon, was named as the new chief of PhilHealth in February in the midst of the controversial transfer of P60 billion funds of the state insurer to the national treasury, which was criticized by health advocates. Last week, Marcos sought the courtesy resignations of Cabinet secretaries to "recalibrate" his administration after the 2025 national and local elections. The President had lamented that results of the May 2025 midterm polls showed that the people are "tired of politics and they are disappointed with the government." —AOL, GMA Integrated News
