New premium rates for all PhilHealth members
CEBU CITY, December 29 (PIA) --- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will be implementing a new premium rate for 2012 covering all paying members of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).
In support to the Universal Health Care (UHC) program objectives and the health targets of the country’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG), PhilHealth works toward ensuring that every Filipino is assigned to and taken cared of by a Primary Care Provider and that members and qualified dependents are given the option to avail of no balance billing health care services.
Towards this end, the PhilHealth Board approved the increases in the annual premium of members to implement enhancements in the benefit packages. Consequently, PhilHealth issued Circular 22-2011 implementing the new premium rates.
Sponsored members included in the National Household Targetting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) list of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will now be covered for an annual premium of P2,400 beginning January 1, 2012. Enrolled members shall be issued PhilHealth identification cards with a two-year validity period.
Premium contributions under the partial subsidy scheme shall also be increased to P2,400 per year effective July 1, 2012. However, local government unit (LGU) sponsors who enroll following the calendar year and pay their contribution within the first semester of 2012 will be computed an annual premium of only P1,200.
Likewise, LGU sponsors who enroll following the calendar year, pay their contribution within the first semester, commit to pay premium contribution for two consecutive years, and sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to that effect will be computed an annual premium of P1,200.
Existing MOAs between PhilHealth and the various LGU and other sponsors will be recognized by PhilHealth until calendar year 2012.
Similarly, PhilHealth individually paying and land-based overseas Filipino worker (OFW) members will now be paying an annual premium of P2,400 effective July 1, 2012.
However, if they pay premium within the first semester of 2012, their annual contribution will still be computed at P1,200.
Members who sign a policy contract committing to pay premium for two consecutive years shall also be computed an annual contribution of P1,200.
Self-employed professionals earning an average monthly income of more than P25,000 shall continue to pay an annual contribution of P3,600, pursuant to PhilHealth Circular 24-2010 which took effect October 1, 2010.
For members in the employed sector, effective January 1, 2013 their premium will be computed at three percent of their basic monthly salary.
The monthly salary base has now been determined at P7,000 and the ceiling at P50,000, and the minimum annual contribution will now be P2,520.
The premium contribution of the employed sector shall continue to be shared equally by employees and their employers.(PIA-7/hfg/Philhealth)
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Over 1,200 families in Cebu affected by severe flooding
due to recent heavy downpour, RDRRMC 7 says
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY December 29 (PIA) -- Over 1,260 families in the province of Cebu have been affected by the extreme weather condition early this week that brought non-stop heavy downpour and thunderstorms resulting to severe flooding in some areas.
Based on the latest progress report issued by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) 7, there were 27 barangays in nine towns and four cities in Cebu that have been severely affected by the continuous heavy downpour that caused flooding to the said areas.
The affected families were temporarily housed in identified evacuation centers such as barangay halls, sports complex or gym and public markets.
The RDRRMC 7 said pre- emptive evacuation efforts were also conducted as precautionary measures in case the situation would worsen in some affected areas due to river swelling.
Floodwaters also invaded about 300 houses in Cebu City alone although no major damages were reported, the same RDRRMC 7 report stated.
In Mandaue City however, four houses were totally washed out in which the affected families were now housed in the evacuation center. Likewise, nine families also reported minor property damages to their houses.
But the aftermath of the continuous heavy downpour left three casualties who drowned due to heavy flashfloods; two in the northern town of Tabogon and one in Mandaue City .
Two persons were also reported injured in Toledo City when big rocks hit the bunker house where the victims stayed.
The affected families except for those whose houses were totally washed out have returned back to their respective homes as the floods have already subsided, this is reported.
RDRRMC-7 Operations Officer Neil Sanchez said they have regularly updated and disseminated weather advisories to RDRRMC members, OCD Provincial Offices and other local DRRMCs for appropriate measures and pre emptive actions.
The AFP-Central Command likewise, notified OpCon Units and coordinated with the local DRRMCs to monitor hazard- prone areas and to provide manpower augmentation in case of pre- emptive evacuation and staging of equipment and responders.
Sanchez said the various barangay disaster response teams have also conducted warning notices to hazard- prone areas and activated the Barangay SAR Teams.
The Cebu Coast Guard meanwhile, is continuing its weather monitoring and regularly coordinates with the police not to allow fishing crafts to venture in case of bad weather conditions to prevent sea accidents, this is said. (FCR/AS//PIA- CEBU )
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DSWD 7 partners with NGOs for supplementary
feeding program to malnourished children
CEBU CITY December 29 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas has forged a partnership with six non government Organizations (NGOs) to provide hot meals and supplementary feeding program to malnourished children outside the government’s day care centers in the identified and adopted villages of the NGO beneficiaries.
More than 1, 300 malnourished children will benefit from the feeding program by the DSWD and the six NGOs which are the AKAP Bata- Cebu, Rotary Club of Metro Bogo, Zenith Foods Corporation, La Consolacion College in Bais City , Sto. Tomas College in Danao City and La Consolacion College in Liloan, Cebu .
The DSWD 7 will provide 20,000 kilos of iron-fortified rice while the NGO partners will share the other requirements needed for the program, this is learned.
Beneficiaries of this feeding program will be malnourished children aged two to 12 years old based outside public day care centers in the identified barangays.
The supplementary feeding program will run from 120 to 200 days.
For the national setting, partners of a similar program are Jollibee Foundation, Augustinian Sisters of our Lady of Consolacion, Operation Blessing Foundation, Phils., Inc. and Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program.
Other than the partner-NGOs, private schools and civic groups, the DSWD 7 is also
partnering with the Office of Cebu 1st District Rep. Eduardo Gullas to provide supplementary feeding to 200 malnourished pre- schoolers outside day care centers in Talisay City .
The DSWD’s augmentation of resources in the Supplementary Feeding Program with its various partners exemplifies the public and private partnership policy, a priority thrust of the Aquino Administration to fast track the country’s development (FCR/AS/PIA-CEBU with report from JB Binghay of DSWD-7)