Barangay officials now insured with PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines – Here’s good news for barangay officials and barangay-based workers and volunteers and their families who belong to barangays that receive less than P1 million from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

They are now insured under the sponsored-program of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of PhilHealth, after the Department of the Interior and Local Government  and the various local government leagues forged an agreement with PhilHealth.

DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the DILG had already issued a memo to all local chief executives for them to enroll the barangay officials and its personnel, including volunteers, in the insurance program to be paid out of barangay funds.

“The barangays rely heavily on their IRA in the administration of their locality, hence, with so many statutory and mandatory obligations, barangays are left with no funds for enrolment in PhilHealth,” Puno noted.

Puno explained that barangay officials are frontline workers of the government who are on call 24 hours to provide tasks such as maintenance of peace and order, assistance in the implementation of national and local programs, but they receive only honorarium and allowance.

He said the DILG has identified 9,495 barangays with IRA of less than P1 million in 4th to 6th class municipalities as its first priority; with another 22,435 barangays in 1st to 3rd class municipalities and cities as second priority.

“This figure translates to some 397,800 enrolled officials and families under the 1st priority, and  897,000 more as the 2nd priority,” Puno said. - Cecille Suerte Felipe

Under the Program, the payment of annual premium contribution of P1,200 per official will be subsidized by the national government, while the remaining P120/enrollee shall be borne by the province, city and municipality. .-

However, the province, city or municipal may enroll as many depending on their capacity.

Under the MOA, the DILG shall discuss the advantages of the NHIP as well as advocate to LGUs the enrollment of barangay officials and barangay based workers or volunteers to the Program.  It shall also conduct information and education campaigns on the policies and rules on the Program’s benefits, procedures on how to avail and the distribution of IDs to enrolled beneficiaries; and encourage LGUs to allocate funds for the enrolment and coverage of said officials to the NHIP.

The various LGU leagues on the other hand, shall endeavor to promote and encourage their respective league members to enroll the qualified barangay officials and barangay based workers or volunteers in barangays with less than P1M IRA share to the sponsored program.

They shall also advocate to league members to subsidize the premium contribution for the enrolment of marginalized barangay beneficiaries and shall encourage its member leagues to enact appropriate ordinance for the adoption and continued support to the Program, continuous allocation of funds to subsidize the premium contribution of qualified barangay beneficiaries within their jurisdiction; and to release the Out-Patient Benefit Fund/Capitation Fund to the sponsoring LGUs.

The MOU was signed by Secretary Puno, Dr. Rey B. Aquino of the PhilHealth, Governor Loreto Leo S. Ocampos, President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, Mayor BenHur Abalos, Jr., President,  League of Cities of the Philippines, Mayor Ramon M. Guico, Jr., President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and Janvier M. Echiverri, President of the National Liga ng mga Barangay.

PhilHealth on the other hand, shall assist in the activities leading to the enrolment of beneficiaries to Sponsored Program and subject the said beneficiaries to the prescribe ed PhilHealth means test tool; encourage the LGUs in partnership with the Leagues and the DILG for the enrolment of qualified  barangay officials and barangay based workers or volunteers within their respective territorial jurisdiction to the Program; collect the local government premium counterpart from the LGUs; facilitate the accreditation of public health institutions and facilities under the jurisdiction of the LGUs where the beneficiaries are residing, pursuant to the accreditation standards set in RA 7875; and provide the LGUs or the public or the private entities on a regular basis, the appropriate monitoring reports on the membership and availment of the Program