Tricycle, Trisikad, Habal-Habal Government to insure families of small public transport drivers

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will enroll family members of small public transport drivers such as tricycles, trisikad and habal-habal under the Philhealth insurance program.

Garcia revealed this during the 1st Alliance of Public Transport Organizations (APTO) gathering last Friday at the Diamond Suites, Cebu City, where she laid out all her programs for the sector.

APTO is an organization of tricycle, trisikad and habal-habal operators from around the country and 50 of the group’s regional coordinators from Visayas and Mindanao were the participants in the two-day gathering.

The organization seeks to become an official partylist candidate in 2013 elections.

“Dako kaayo ang among pasalamat nga si Gov. Garcia nakaanhi gyud sa among tigom, wa mi magdahom nga iya ming tagaan og panahon apan nalipay kaayo mi, (We are very grateful that Gov. Garcia attended our gathering. We did not expect that she will make time for us and we are very happy.)” said Joan Lagunda, executive vice president of APTO.

Lagunda hopes that they can work with Garcia to realize their vision.

APTO plans to bring the agenda of the “informal sectors” as another sector of the society that is also recognized and protected by laws in Congress.

The Province of Cebu has been enrolling indigent families under the Philhealth Insurance program. The Capitol has 190,000 individuals enrolled with the Philheath Insurance.

Garcia said this will be a big help for the small public transport operators who also have an equally important role in the society.

More than 45,000 barangay officials and barangay volunteer workers are also enrolled under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) accident insurance.

Garcia is targeting 80 percent of the farmers and fishermen covered under PCIC within this year. — (FREEMAN)