Consistent with the government’s commitment in delivering quality healthcare for all, a multi-sector program spearheaded by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC), was launched recently at the Zamboanga City Coliseum.

The “Alaga Ka” program launch was attended by some 500 indigent families which were identified through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Listahanan or National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

Listahanan provides high quality list of the poor households nationwide and maintains its sharing of database among National Government Agencies (NGA’s) as stipulated in the Executive Order 867 series of 2010.

Through the “Alaga Ka para sa Maayos na Buhay” or simply Alaga Ka is a program implemented in 17 regions nationwide that seeks to provide the country’s 14.7 million indigent families with greater access to primary health care services.

Philhealth’s strategic campaign for the ‘Alaga Ka’ aims to increase the utilization of primary care services by the enrolled indigent families, empower families with the right and accurate information about their benefits and educate them on to maximize its used emphasizing the concept that the poor are being taken cared by the government.

During the said launch, DSWD through Listahanan provided assistance to these families and those who are non-members of PhilHealth through a Validation Desk.

Philhealth’s Regional Office IX has already enrolled 1,050,048 members covering Zamboanga Peninsula. They make sure that all those covered by Listahanan (NHTS-PR) can receive the benefits they deserve from them. The National Government shoulders the Annual premium of this indigent families amounting 2,400 pesos.

Furthermore, A massive information drive was also delivered to all attendees to address the need for awareness. Among these is the Philhealth Primary Care Benefit Package (PCB)’s TSeKap (Tamang Serbisyo para Kalusugan ng Pamilya) that seeks to heighten their awareness on the benefits they gain from this programs. TSeKaP consists of essential services aimed at prevention, early detection of diseases and even interventions for healthy living. It includes series of consultation, visual inspection with acetic acid, regular blood pressure monitoring, periodical breast examination, and health promotion like education on breastfeeding, counseling on lifestyle modification and smoking cessation and diagnostic procedures, said Philheath.

In an interview with Mr. Edgardo F. Faustino, Division Chief for Field Operations for Philhealth IX, revealed that the implementation of these indigent programs for the indigent families became more efficient and credible through the presence of the DSWD’s Listahanan (NHTS-PR) database. He further said that through the Listahanan, Philhealth no longer need to go through the voluminous documents and laborious process of identifying its recipients as the list can be easily accessed since it is already done electronically.

Majority of the families present during the event are also Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development coming from selected barangays around the city.

Philhealth Board Resolution No.1571, s.2011, states the enrollment of all indigent families under Listahanan (NHTS-PR) of the DSWD in the indigent programs while entitlement of all Pantawid beneficiaries to Philhealth benefits is in pursuant to it’s Philhealth Circular No. 024, s. 2012.

DSWD shall update its list in the 2nd Quarter of the year in the conduct of the 2nd Nationwide Household Assessment through its Listahanan Unit targeting more than 600 thousand households. ##