Supplier meets mayor, demands P8 million payment for meds

CEBU, Philippines - A participating pharmacy of Cebu City’s Hospitalization Assistance and Medical Program met with Mayor Michael Rama yesterday to follow up on the city’s payables that has reached over P8 million.

Myra Rentuza was with her husband, Mayor Rico Rentuza of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, to follow up on the payment.

It was the same month last year when the couple informed the city that it might be forced to file charges if they will not be paid immediately because they also have to answer to their suppliers.

City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said that the Mayor was infuriated to learn that the processing of payment to pharmacies has not improved.

“We will meet again with the CHAMP office and the City Accounting to know what really is the problem. Kay dugay na man ni, balik-balik lang ta ani. Unsa man gyud ang makalangan? (This has been awhile already and we keep going back to the same problem. What is causing the delay?)” Poblete said.

“Imbes mugamay atong bayranan, nagkadako naman nuon. Nasuko na ang mayor. We will fix this once and for all, (Instead of lesser payables, it has become even bigger. The mayor is furious.)” he added.

The P8 million payables of the city to Pro-poor and Pro-Inay pharmacies owned by Myra Rentuza included bills when the program was still called CAMP or City Assistance for Medicines Program.

When Rama became the mayor, CAMP was replaced with CHAMP.

Poblete said that they can sense the urgency of the resolution of the matter since the couple used to follow up only at the City Administrator’s Office and the Accounting Office, but yesterday they went out of their way to meet with the Mayor.

Poblete said the city government is thankful that the Rentuza couple has no plan to stop dispensing medicines to the beneficiaries of CHAMP.

Pro-poor and Pro-Inay are among the pharmacies commissioned by the city for the medicines program.

Poblete said that the CHAMP office might be overwhelmed by the volume of work because of the number of people going to the office everyday to avail of the program.

“They may need additional staff to focus mainly on the paper works. We will see if we have to add more personnel that will process the payment to the pharmacies,” Poblete said.

The city has appropriated P100 million this year for the medical assistance program. Each beneficiary is entitled to P5,000 worth of medicines and P25,000 worth of hospitalization assistance in a public hospital in Cebu City. – Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MIT (THE FREEMAN)