The PhilHealth IDs were released yesterday at the Don Leopoldo Sison Auditorium by the city social welfare and development office (CSWD) and the city cooperative office (CCO).

City administrator Wilmer S. Panabang supervised the distribution of cards issued by PhilHealth to the beneficiaries. He was joined by city councilors Cirilo Radoc and Constante Carasi, CSWD chief Imelda Ruiz and Annabel Hebron, OIC head of the city cooperative office.

PhilHealth Alaminos head Eduardo Dularte was also present during the said distribution to give a brief orientation on the PhilHealth Program.

Dularte said since no one wants to get sick and no one knows when he will be affected by an illness, it is important for every constituent especially those who have less in life should be covered by PhilHealth to avail of the basic health benefits.

He emphasized that PhilHealth IDs are not ordinary cards. It entitles the holder and his family to hospitalization benefits at all PhilHealth-accredited hospitals in the country.

Among these benefits are subsidies for room and board fees, professional fees, drugs and medicines, and x-ray and laboratory tests.

Card holders can also enjoy free consultation and check-up and the IDs are only valid for one year starting from the date of its issuance.

Dularte likewise reminded the card holders to have their IDs laminated.

“Make sure to leave your IDs at home and must be very accessible to any member of the family so that they could easily use it in times of emergency,” he added.

He even invited all card holders to visit their office to learn more on how to use their IDs and avail of the hospitalization benefits provided by the agency.

Earlier, Ruiz explained to card holders that the city government pays for their contribution while the PhilHealth shouldered the other half of the total premiums.

She said that the city renews the membership of the beneficiaries every year.The city’s sponsorship expires either July or December.

The city social welfare and development officer further disclosed that since 2004, there is a substantial increase on the number of PhilHealth card holders in the city.

Last year, a total of 2, 518 indigent families have been granted PhilHealth membership by the Braganza administration.

Ruiz said that aside from the renewal of membership cards, the city government is set to enroll new members to PhilHealth.

“We are still on the process of validating the lists of would-be beneficiaries which were submitted by our barangay leaders,” she said.

“Hopefully, we could distribute the IDs by the last quarter of the year,” added Ruiz.

For his part, Panabang said the city government is also focusing on the implementation of more livelihood programs with the card holders as the priority beneficiaries.

“At the end of the day, this administration is after the improvement of the quality of life of our less fortunate citymates,” he said.

“Our beloved mayor wanted our indigent families to graduate from poverty and live a better, decent life,” he said.

The city administrator also revealed that the city will soon have its own hospital known as the Hundred Islands Medical Services Complex to provide the best health care services for the more than 85,000 city residents here.

This 25-bed hospital also houses the Crisis Intervention Center, Stimulation Therapeutic Activity Center, Imaging and Diagnostic Laboratories, Pharmacy, Nursing Units, Doctors’ Clinics and Emergency.

And due to climate change that affects both the environment and human health, Panabang advised his citymates to be more health conscious.

“Let’s protect ourselves from these weather-caused diseases by eating nutritious food, drinking safe and clean water and observe cleanliness and proper hygiene practices and ensuring the proper and sanitary waste disposal,” he quipped.”

He also assured the indigent families that they could avail of a financial assistance from city through CSWD in case they will incur additional hospitalization expenses. (CIO)