Taguig City empowers PUV drivers, operators; sponsors PhilHealth membership
About 10,000 Taguig public utility vehicle drivers and PUV owners can now expect subsidies for medical services from PhilHealth this 2019, thanks to the Taguig government’s special medical mission that facilitates registration with the state’s medical provider.
In the 10-day project dubbed “TODA-JODA Pasada, Kalusugan ay BIDA,” pedicab, jeepney, tricycle and taxi drivers and PUV owners from Taguig can avail of LGU-sponsored membership to PhilHealth.
The event started on Friday, January 18 at the Lakeshore Hall in Barangay Lower Bicutan and will continue until Feb. 1.
During the event, a PhilHealth booth will allow attendees to fill out their own Member Registration Form and will be given their PhilHealth number. Their IDs will be delivered to their respective drivers’ association after processing.
PhilHealth members are entitled to free in-patient services at PhilHealth-accredited government facilities or hospitals on various conditions, including cataract surgery and appendectomy. PhilHealth also provides subsidy for room and board, drugs and medicines, laboratories, operating room and professional fees for confinements not less than 24 hours.
While PhilHealth Outpatient Benefit Package may be availed in both public and private PhilHealth-accredited facilities for free, some clinics may still require additional payments in excess of the PhilHealth payment. The outpatient services include medical consultation, blood-pressure monitoring and counselling for smoke cessation, among others.
Apart from the registration, the beneficiaries can avail of other medical services on-site, such as laboratory, chest X-ray, dental and pharmacy services. Two mobile X-ray machines and a medical team composed of barangay health workers, nurses, doctors and dentists will be deployed, while food, refreshments and tokens will also be distributed to the participants.
This special medical mission is similar to the city’s Taguig Love Caravan where residents avail of the same medical services plus other additions like free haircut, massage, livelihood training and even a job fair. Unlike medical missions in other cities, this pioneering health program in Taguig goes around the city’s 28 barangays three times a week.
There also will be help desks for the city’s LANI scholarship program which has already produced more than 57,000 scholars and a budget which has increased to P675 million this year; the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital’s home health service which is composed of physical therapists and nurses who visit debilitated patients and teaches family members how to take care of their ill loved ones; and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office which has aided the employment of PWDs and started the PWD birthday cash incentive.
Jocner Torino, a tricycle driver and member of BMTODAI Bayani Road, was one of the first beneficiaries of the program.
“Napakasaya ko po kasi ang laking tulong po ang PhilHealth sa amin financially kasi hindi naman kalakihan ang kinikita naming mga tricycle drivers at lalo na po na ako ang nagtataguyod sa aking pamilya,” said the father of three.
Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano said the local government was able to embark on this new social and health service because it is now debt-free and, because of efficient business tax collection through the Business One-Stop Shop, Taguig has the funds to bankroll the program.
“The health of every family member is a very important aspect in our community so we continue to find innovative, inclusive ways to provide medical assistance to Taguigeños,” Mayor Lani noted.
“This project with PhilHealth maybe the first in our city but to which I assure everyone will continue for years to come,” she added noting that the local government will remain steadfast in crafting programs which will truly be of service to every Taguigeño family.
In Taguig, more than 33,000 residents have been registered with PhilHealth through LGU-sponsorship, the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) and the Department of Education. ###
Filipino Version
PUV drivers, operators ginawaran ng PhilHealth membership ng Taguig gov’t
Mahigit 10,000 driver at operator ng public utility vehicle (PUV) ang makakatanggap na ng subsidiya para sa kanilang medical services mula sa PhilHealth ngayong 2019, salamat sa special medical mission ng Taguig City government kung saan nabiyayaan sila ng libreng PhilHealth membership.
Sa ginanap na sampung araw na programa para sa proyektong “TODA-JODA Pasada, Kalusugan ay BIDA,” ang mga pedicab, jeepney, tricycle at taxi driver at pati na rin ang mga PUV owners mula sa Taguig ay naitala na bilang mga bagong miyembro ng PhilHealth, sa ilalim ng sponsorship ng Taguig LGU.
Ang pag-gawad ng membership ay sinimulan pa noong Biyernes, January 18, sa ginanap na pagtitipon sa Lakeshore Hall sa Barangay Lower Bicutan. Ito ay magpapatuloy hanggang Feb. 1.
Sa nasabing programa, nagtayo ng isang booth ang PhilHealth kung saan pwedeng magpatala ang mga dadalo para sa kanilang free membership sa ibibigay na Member Registration Form. Pagkatapos nito ay mabibigyan na sila ng PhilHealth number para sa health services na kanilang pwedeng magamit. Ang mga PhilHealth ID ay ipapagawa na rin matapos ang processing ng kanilang form at ipapadala sa kani-kanilang association.
Ang mga PhilHealth member ay makakatanggap ng libreng in-patient services sa mga PhilHealth-accredited government facilities at hospitals sa iba’t-ibang serbisyo, kasama na ang cataract surgery at appendectomy. Ang PhilHealth din ay nagbibigay ng subsidiya para sa kuwarto at boarding, medisina o gamot, mga laboratory examination, operating room at professional fee sa mga sasailalim ng confinement sa loob ng 24 hours.
Kung ang PhilHealth Outpatient Benefit Package ay pwedeng makuha ng libre sa parehong private at public PhilHealth-accredited facilities, ang ibang mga klinika ay maaari namang humingi pa ng bayad sa lalagpas na halaga sa babayaran ng PhilHealth. Ang mga outpatient services ay kasama na ang medical consultation, blood-pressure monitoring at konsulta sa pagtigil sa paninigarilyo at iba pa.
Sa nasabing pagtitipon, ang mga gagawaran ng benepisyo ay maari nang makakuha ng medical services on-site, kagaya ng laboratory, chest X-ray, dental at pharmacy services. Dalawang mobile X-ray machines at mga miyembro ng medical team kasama na ang barangay health workers, nurses, duktor at dentista ang nasa lugar para magbigay ng serbisyo. Meron ding mga pagkain, inumin at iba pang refreshments at mga giveaway ang ipinamimigay sa mga dumadalo.
Ang special medical mission ay kahalintulad ng Love Caravan ng Taguig kung saan ang mga residente ay nabibigyan ng medical services pati na ang karagdagang libreng gupit, masahe, livelihood training at job fair. Kumpara sa ibang medical mission sa ibang syudad, ang pioneering health program sa Taguig ay umiikot sa buong 28 barangays tatlong beses isang linggo sa lungsod.
Nagkakaroon din ng help desks para sa LANI scholarship program ng lungsod ng Taguig, kung saan meron nang nabiyayaang 57,000 scholars at ang budget ay itinaas na sa P675 million ngayong taon; ang home health service ng Taguig-Pateros District Hospital na kinabibilangan ng mga physical therapist at nurse ay bumibisita sa mga may sakit at nagtuturo kung paano mag-alaga ng may sakit; ang Persons with Disability Affairs Office ay nagbibigay din ng employment sa mga PWD at sinimulan na ang PWD birthday cash incentive.
Si Jocner Torino, isang tricycle driver at miyembro ng BMTODAI Bayani Road, ay isa sa mga nabiyayaan bilang beneficiary ng programa.
“Napakasaya ko po kasi ang laking tulong po ang PhilHealth sa amin financially kasi hindi naman kalakihan ang kinikita naming mga tricycle drivers at lalo na po na ako ang nagtataguyod sa aking pamilya,” saad pa niya, na isa ring ama sa tatlong anak.
Ayon pa kay Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, ang lokal na pamahalaan ng Taguig ay epektibong nakapagbibigay ng social at health services sa mga tao matapos mabayaran na ng lungsod ang mga dating utang dahil na rin sa epektibong pang-kolekta ng business tax collection sa ilalim ng Business One-Stop Shop.
“The health of every family member is a very important aspect in our community so we continue to find innovative, inclusive ways to provide medical assistance to Taguigeños,” wika pa ni Mayor Lani.
“This project with PhilHealth maybe the first in our city but to which I assure everyone will continue for years to come,” saad pa ni Mayor Lani, kasama na ang pagbigay ng kasiguruhan na ang Taguig LGU ay patuloy na gagawa ng mga programa na magdudulot ng biyaya at serbisyo sa bawat pamilyang Taguigeño.
Sa Taguig, mahigit na 33,000 residente ang naging rehistrado sa PhilHealth sa pamamagitan ng LGU-sponsorship, ng National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) at ng Department of Education. ###