MANILA, Philippines – Barangay officials and health workers are now covered by the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) in the P2.606-trillion national budget the House of Representatives approved last week, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez said yesterday.
Benitez said PhilHealth now covers barangay officials and barangay health workers (BHWs) through the initiative of the Visayas bloc of the House.
The inclusion would cover over 300,000 barangay workers nationwide through a grant of at least P500 million for 2015, Benitez said.
He cited the budgetary allocation as proof of the government’s appreciation of the work of barangay officials and BHWs in the forefront of public service delivery at the grassroots level.
“The performance and dedication of the barangay workers are crucial in the assessment and validation of government service as a whole. They should therefore not be deprived of necessary benefits and of the very social services that they bring to the people in their respective communities,” Benitez said.
The Visayas bloc advocated for equitable allocation of the national budget not only throughout all the regions but also across all sectors of society. Part of its call was for appropriations for the PhilHealth coverage of barangay officials and BHWs in the 2015 national budget.
The approved 2015 national budget included a special provision that the National Health Insurance Program for the indigents and the poor shall also “cover the full premium payment of qualified barangay officials and volunteer allied health workers that are not receiving salaries from other sources.”
Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas said the bloc is ecstatic with the realization of the group’s lobby to ensure PhilHealth coverage for barangay officials and BHWs nationwide.
“The inclusion of the barangay workers who are also part of the low-income sectors as part of the PhilHealth sponsored program has long been overdue. This is also one step towards the government’s goal to have an inclusive budget for the fiscal year 2015,” he said.
The Visayas bloc is composed of 34 lawmakers in the 290-member chamber. –Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)
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