For volunteer workers Health insurance needed – Carillo

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo will push for the provision of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. benefits to more than 800 volunteer workers in Cebu City.

The matter was proposed by an officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Services who sees the need to protect the workers from any untoward situation caused by accidents or illnesses.

DSWS project evaluation officer 2 Virginia Piccio cited the situation of a barangay health worker in Carreta, Lucia Mariano, who accidentally damaged her hip connecting to the spinal cord.

“However, the patient is indigent and nowhere to get assistance,” said Piccio.

Mariano was admitted at the orthopedic section of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Aside from 500 BHWs, Piccio is also proposing for the PhilHealth Insurance coverage of 263 day care workers and home-based workers, 80 city nutrition scholars, and eight persons with disability.

“The project aims to answer the prolonged agony, which is suffered by volunteer individuals and less-privileged sector that render their services in the departments of Cebu City government for a long period of time,” said Piccio.

The DSWS officer wants the city government to set aside a total of P1,021,200 or P1,200 for each worker’s yearly insurance coverage.

By giving them PhilHealth Insurance cards, the workers would be free from hassle and worries in times of unfortunate situations, Piccio said further.

Carillo, who chairs the Committee on Social Services, said he will sponsor a resolution approving the proposal of the DSWS officer.

The Councilor, who agrees with Piccio’s sentiments, said he will push the matter on their session on Wednesday.

Just last month, the head of the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicine Program said that the city government set aside P22 million to fund PhilHealth Insurance coverage for barangay workers.

CHAMP chief Henry Sanchez has said the City allocated 10,000 slots for all barangay workers, pacification committees (lupon tagapamayapa) and tanods in the 80 barangays.  (FREEMAN)