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Saturday, November 12, 2005
Zambo denies snubbing Capitol offer,says Toledo already paying for Philhealth
Toldedo City Mayor Arlene Zambo denied snubbing the Philhealth insurance program of the Capitol, saying her constituents already have an existing coverage provided by Rep. Antonio Yapha (3rd district).
“It’s not that I don’t want to join the program. I’m just apprehensive that we might not have resources to pay for the counterpart because I am already allotting P500,000 for our existing Philhealth program and this is being renewed every year,” Zambo said.
Toledo City is part of the third district, which Yapha represents in the House of Representatives.
This year, some 7,000 individuals were enrolled after Sen. Serge Osmeña gave Zambo P3 million for the program, aside from the counterpart Yapha gave her.
Toledo City is one of the nine towns that did not join Capitol’s program. It is also one of the six towns whose officials are loyal supporters of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s political rivals.
But Zambo explained that not joining in the Capitol’s program has no political color.
Zambo said it is up to barangay officials to decide if they will directly join the program, as long as they can afford the premium.
Barangays Das, Lutopan and Poblacion have expressed willingness to join the program.
Garcia has announced she will no longer grant financial assistance to towns, cities and barangays that have not complied with the requirements for the enrollment of its indigents with Philhealth.
Garcia has encouraged the towns to enroll their indigent families with Philhealth and Capitol will also enroll an equivalent number of families that each LGU has enrolled.
Aside from providing health services to the poor and at the same time, Garcia wants to make district hospitals an economic enterprise, because its services for indigents will be charged to Philhealth.
Usually, district hospitals do not collect fees from indigents for the services given to them. (MBG)
(November 12, 2005 issue)
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