DSWD-7 backs insurance coverage for poor families

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office-7 is supporting the health insurance coverage of indigent families enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program of PhilHealth.

This after the Department of Budget and Management has approved the release of the subsidy’s budget.

“This is indeed good news to our people, especially to our target beneficiaries since they will have their own health insurance sponsored by the government,” Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat explained.

The subsidy covers the health insurance premiums of all identified poor households by the Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction for this year.

The Bureau of Treasury will be releasing the subsidy to PhilHealth based on actual billings; the number of identified families per region, municipality, and barangay; and the names of each enrolled beneficiary identified by the Listahanan.

“Aside from the national government, there are also some local government units in the region that use our Listahanan database in identifying who will be given PhilHealth insurance,” Jabagat added.

“In order to achieve inclusive growth, we need to ensure that the basic social services like health, food and education are properly addressed not only by the government but by other social protection stakeholders,” Jabagat said. “Hence, we continue to urge LGUs and NGOs to use the available data to formulate appropriate social protection programs and services, specifically to address the welfare of the poor,”

Spearheaded by DSWD, Listahanan is an information management system that identifies names and locations of poor households in the country. It aims for the government and civil society to establish objective targeting system on the social protection programs and services to the poor.

Meanwhile, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program farmer beneficiaries bounced back after super typhoon Yolanda destroyed the vegetable gardens where they get there income for the family.

The effects of the typhoon could be devastating for the 35 beneficiaries but they chose to rise against their situation rather than sulk over what happened.

Data from DSWD-7 showed there are a total of 35 Pantawid farmer beneficiaries who suffered the wrath of Yolanda.

Last year, Pantawid farmer beneficiaries from the different barangays in Cebu City, such as Duljo-Fatima, Mambaling, Carreta, Inayawan, Cogon Pardo, Apas, Zapatera, Suba and Busay, attended the urban farmers’ training program.

This program is under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan of SM Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7.

During the three-month training period, the beneficiaries were taught various farming technology like application of fertilizers, soil amendments and the removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots through pruning.

The DSWD-7 through the Sustainable Livelihood Program also shared different business management modules, like financial literacy and time management, to the beneficiaries.

When the training ended, the Cebu City government provided support to the beneficiaries as they allotted a small unused lot in the North Reclamation Area and made it into a vegetable garden.

Through the Cebu City Agriculture Department, the Cebu City LGU also provided seedlings, fertilizers and water supply for the vegetable garden.

“The complementation and collaboration of different programs and services from the national government, local government and private sector is a good example of convergence strategy,” said Jabagat.

“Through convergence we can be able to ensure that our beneficiaries will become empowered, self-sufficient and resilient,” Jabagat added.

Aside from Cebu City, beneficiaries of Borbon town in Cebu and Loon town in Bohol were also given training program this year by SMFI and DSWD.   (FREEMAN)