Celso distributes health cards in barangays
2010-02-09 Mayor Celso Lobregat spearheads the distribution of renewed health insurance cards to indigent sectors in the barangays Saturday. Assisting the mayor is Venus Giron of the PHILHEALTH regional office. (JOEY BAUTISTA)
Mayor Celso Lobregat over the weekend motored to the barangays to distribute health insurance cards to indigents in line with his expanded Philhealth program.
Assisted by Philhealth representatives and some members of the City Council, Mayor Lobregat handed out the insurance cards to beneficiaries in four designated distribution areas: Vitali with 46 beneficiaries; Curuan with 353 beneficiaries; Culianan with 403 beneficiaries and Ayala with 985 beneficiaries.
The day long distribution last Saturday was the second since January 12 at the City Coliseum where a total of 3,512 indigent residents and special groups from 39 barangays of the city received their renewed cards.
When he was elected mayor in 2004, there were only 3,997 beneficiaries to the Philhealth program with an appropriation of P2.39 million. The number of beneficiaries increased to 5,000 and in 2009, the number further rose to 6,500 with an appropriation of P3.9 million.
With the 2009 Supplemental budget, the number of beneficiaries to the Philhealth program increased to 14,000 with an appropriation of P8.7 million. The program has expanded to include cooperative members from the MEMPCO and People’s Micro-finance where 10,000 beneficiaries were enrolled with an assistance of P1.2 million.
“For 2010, we have programmed for 18,000 regular beneficiaries and 12,000 beneficiaries for the MEMPCO and People’s Micro-finance. P12.2 million have been appropriated for these beneficiaries”, the mayor stressed.
The expanded Philhealth program of the present administration was one of the highlights in Mayor Lobregat’s State of the City Report (SCR) he delivered during the City Council’s maiden session last January 28.
“From 3,997 in 2004, now there will be 30,000 beneficiaires and the appropriation will be increased from P2.39 million to P12.2 million. I hope that everybody will agree that this is a pro-poor policy and program,” the mayor said in his SCR.
Because of the expanded Philhealth coverage program, Zamboanga City has been officially declared as the only city in Western Mindanao as a “Universal Coverage Area”.
The Philhealth is set to formally hand over to Mayor Lobregat the plaque in Malacanang this weekend.
As this developed, barangay officials and indigent residents have described the Lobregat administration as forward looking and truly looking after the needs of the constituents.
Romeo Enriquez, barangay chairman of Cabaluay said poor people have something to look forward to in times of emergencies because of the city’s health insurance program.
The economic crisis makes life more difficult to the marginalized sector but with the health insurance program, people’s lives will be eased in times of hospitalization or other health problems.
Joining Lobregat in the distribution of Philhealth cards were Councilors Cesar Iturralde, Luis Biel III and Jaime Cabato and City Hall Executive Assistant Percival Ramos, former City Hall Chief Executive Assistant Ller Natividad, Mike Alavar, Talisayan barangay chairman Josephine Pareja and Kaiser Olaso and Philhealth staff headed by Venus Giron. (Sheila Covarrubias)