Las Piñas government provides Philhealth to poor residents

Some 200 Las Piñas City residents can now enjoy health care services through Philhealth on top of the hospitalization program of the city government for indigents.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar distributed Philhealth cards aimed at helping residents cope with the high cost of hospitalization.

The free hospitalization for residents is a flagship health project of Aguilar established in March 2000 to benefit all city residents, particularly the economically-disadvantaged sector who cannot afford the expensive treatment in private hospitals, including minor surgical operations and confinement.

Under the program, each city resident who applies for a "green card" can avail of the P25,000 hospitalization benefit at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay, at the Las Piñas Doctors Hospital and at the Philippine General Hospital.

Vic Talampas, technical assistant on health concerns of the city government of Las Piñas, said there are more than 40,000 residents who are certified green card holders.

Residents who wish to avail of the program can go directly to the Office of the Mayor at the barangay center near their residence and at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office located at the back of the City Hall, Talampas said.

The mayor also directed the city health department to vigorously pursue its community-based health programs and health education campaign in the city’s 20 barangays to teach people the proper way to take care of themselves.

As a result of efforts to make health services accessible to Las Piñas residents, the Department of Health, for four consecutive years (1999-2002), awarded the city the prestigious "Sentrong Sigla" award for having the best health facilities and programs in the country.