CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some P35 million – all coming from the Capitol coffers – were spent for PhilHealth cards distributed primarily to farmers, fisherfolk, marginalized folk, indigenous tribes and barangay health workers.
That, said former Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio, was undertaken within his full term even as he debunked claims by his successor of having virtually saturated the province with the health insurance cards.
“The much ballyhooed assistance (of Gov. Lilia G. Pineda) in terms of PhilHealth and 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) came from the national government,” Panlilio said, “From President Aquino and not from the Capitol.”
“Keng PhilHealth ala yang binye from the provincial coffers, none (From PhilHealth she gave nothing from the provincial coffers, none). During her time nothing,” Panlilio emphasized during last week’s interview at the Talete Panyulung ning Kapampangan, Inc. at Greenville Subdivision here.
In a press release last week, the Pineda administration said it has funded the PhilHealth insurance of 14,879 beneficiaries amounting to a total of P20,830,440.
The provincial government even provided a breakdown of the beneficiaries thus: District 1 – 1,679 beneficiaries with the amount of P2,881,800; District II – 5,832 with P8,357,700; District III – 2,652 with P3,535,200 and District IV- 4,806 with P6,055,740.
The amount is way below Panlilio’s reported accomplishment of P35 million for the same program though.
The Capitol press release also disclosed that the PhilHealth insurance of some 45,339 Kapampangan beneficiaries pegged at P81,610,200 came from the Aquino government under its National Household Targeting System.
This, in effect, substantiated Panlilio’s claim of the health insurance cards coming from the President.
The provincial government also said it has distributed PhilHealth insurance per sector as follows: bantay bayan, 5,311; barangay health workers,1462; indigents identified by district hospitals, 2,327; day care workers, 104; persons with disabilities, 328; barangay PESO,99; and scavengers and junk dealers, 371.
PhilHealth beneficiaries will be given medical benefits and discounts which include laboratory fees, hospital rooms, medicines, doctor’s fees, and even hospital bills, among others.
The Capitol also said aside from Philhealth insurance, the governor has also distributed 384 family health access cards to Aeta family-beneficiaries, adding that it is continuously working for the identification of indigent families in the 504 villages.
The beneficiaries of family health access cards are given no-balance- billing benefit in all 11 district and provincial hospitals in the province.
Panlilio is challenging incumbent Pineda for the governorship this May.
