Albay spends P500 M for health services
LEGAZPI CITY, August 25 (PIA/LGU Albay) -- Albay has spent over half a billion pesos for health services for the past four years, making the province a top performer in the country’s universal health program in pursuit of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on health care.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the province invested in health care services since 2007 with P533 million making health services available to some 472,372 poor residents across the province.

Of the P533 million health expenditures, P101.6 million was spent in 2007; P122.6 million in 2008; P158 million in 2009 and P173.2 million last year.

Salceda said 24 percent of the province's yearly Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is earmarked for health services.

Salceda said with this health investment, the province was certified by the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) as among the top performers in the implementation of the universal health coverage in the country.

In 2010, Albay province paid the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) P60 million for PhilHealth coverage but PhilHealth reimbursement to the Bicol Teaching and Training Hospital (BRTTH) reached P127 million. Of these, P67 million were for hospital income, P17 million for drugs and medicines and P42 million for professional fees. (MAL/MSA/LGU Albay)

Bicol Medical Center to spearhead blood letting activity
by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA City, August 25 (PIA) -- With 78.26 per cent increase in dengue cases this year in most of this city’s barangays, including dengue’s upward trend in adjoining municipalities in the province, Bicol Medical Center (BMC), in a well-timed response, will spearhead a mass blood-letting activity from September 2-3.

Mar Chavez, program coordinator of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program of BMC, said that the activity is part of the hospital’s commitment in strengthening its blood services program and make blood readily available to those who are in dire need of transfusion or related purposes.

Aside from their usual information drive campaign, BMC personnel are also regularly visiting various municipalities in the province to facilitate the Mobile Blood Donation (MBD).

“We are regularly conducting MBD in different parts of the province, particularly in municipalities almost everyday. Just this week, we have already visited two (2) barangays in San Fernando , Camarines Sur and also in Barangay Mabolo here where we conducted MBD. The next day, August 23, we also visited barangays San Isidro and Del Rosario, both in Pili , Camarines Sur, ” Chavez said.

In the upcoming days, BMC personnel will continue conducting MBD’s in the municipalities of Libmanan, Caramoan, Pili, Magarao, Canaman, Nabua, San Jose and in the cities of Iriga and Naga.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vito Borja, Naga City Health Officer, assured the public that they are doing all possible means to address the rising incidence of dengue, which has affected most of the barangays in this city. Aside from their continuous drive in disseminating facts to barangay folks, the Naga City Health Office is also engaging the assistance of barangay officials in implementing cleanliness drive in their respective areas.

Borja said that they are using Gokilaht, a chemical solution which they distribute to the barangays. The said solution when diluted in water can be used to restrain mosquitoes from getting near its victim.

“We are already discouraging fogging, also pursuant to the directive of the Department of Health. In replacement, we are providing this chemical where residents can soak their mosquito nets. The remaining solution can be used as spray to kills dengue causing mosquitoes,” Borja said in an interview.

Aside from these endeavors, the City Health Office is also closely working with various schools to ensure strict compliance of the 4 o’clock habit. Borja likewise emphasized that cleanliness is still the best way to drive dengue-causing mosquitoes away from our habitat. He likewise reminded the residents to follow the 4-S: Search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, self-protection measures, seek early treatment and say no to indiscriminate fogging. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)

OWWA Bicol activates ‘libreng tawag’ for families of OFWs in troubled countries
by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, August 25 (PIA) -- With the escalating strife in countries like Syria and Libya, the Office of Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Bicol has opened its regional office as well as its satellite office to assist families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in locating their whereabouts.

OWWA Bicol Regional Director Jocelyn Hapal disclosed to PIA through its regional radio program Aramon ta Daw last Monday that the free call or libreng tawag was opened starting August 17 available during office hours, including week-ends and night time. Families of OFWs working in said conflict areas can visit their regional office at Legazpi City or its satellite office in Naga City so they can avail of the free call direct to Damascus, capital of Syria.

If they can not come personally to the offices, they can call telephone numbers 4814562 or 4814503 in Legazpi or 4734341 in Naga or cell phone number 09277996223 for similar assistance.

As the call for Syrian President Bashar al Assad to step down continues, alert level 3 was raised by the Department of Foreign Affairs which means voluntary repatriation is in placed for Filipinos. Hapal said that a team is already in Damascus and is ready to assist in the tracing the whereabouts of OFWs.

Per data base of OWWA, Hapal disclosed there are 688 documented OFWs, 20 of whom are Bicolanos. However, she stated that DFA has placed the number of Filipinos in Syria to 17,000. Most of the Filipinos are in the cities of Damascus, Latakia and Homs.

Hapal stated that majority of the OFWs in Syria are domestic helpers and fears that these workers may not have capacity or the guts to come out to the embassy. In many instances their passports are being withheld by their employers.

OWWA dispelled that fear explaining that with or without a passport any OFW can be send home. A travel document will be provided for those without passports similar to what was put into practice during the repatriation of OFWs in Libya early this year.

Meantime, Hapal said that repatriation for Libyan workers is still on as there are still OFWs working in the troubled country either as nurses or at oil drilling sites. Alert level 4 is still enforced by the DFA in Libya.

With the 215 documented Bicolano OFWS in Libya only 129 has returned home. They were part of the 8,000 repatriated workers from that country early this year.

A reintegration program awaits repatriated OFWs. This include a loan assistance from the government to as high as P300,000 as starter capital for livelihood business, and skills to be provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Hapal has cautioned all OFWs from Syria and Libya who are currently on vacation in the Philippines not to attempt to return back for work. She, likewise, encouraged families and relatives of OFWs in conflict countries to call their kinfolk to be able to establish their location or addresses. (MAL/AAN, PIA V)

DPWH District I Office bares programs and projects in Sorsogon
by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON, August 25 (PIA) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) first engineering district office here has reported the earmarked programs and projects for this 3rd and 4th quarter based on the approved plans and funding released by the agency's central office.

Engr.Romeo Doloiras, DPWH Sorsogon I district engineer, said the national thrusts of the agency now are based on the instructions received from Sec. Rogelio S.Singson to upgrade all national roads with "A" standards..

Doloiras also explained that according to Singson, the country has yet to improve its road component since it has been left out by other Asian countries.

"Roads are the best infrastructure face of a developed country where people can travel safe, fast and comfortable and where all areas should be made accessible to propel economic development," Doloiras also expressed.

He said that a total of P323 M was already released to their office to rehabilitate, upgrade and standardize the 183 km road here in the 1st district based on the guidelines issued by DPWH for class A roads.

According to Doloiras, all national roads should be 9 inches thick as that of the previously constructed roads with only 6.7 inches thick. which is below down the standard quality of A 1 roads.

"Some P30 M was earmarked for the province to repair the public market of Bacon district and will be released through the office of Senator Francis Joseph G. Escudero" Doloiras said.

DPWH has also released P100 M for the Sawanga Road in Bacon district. and P10 M for the repair of the district hospital in Magallanes.

Doloiras also explained that the new process of applications for bidders who would like to subcontract or contractors who would like to contract out projects will be done now through online applications since the DPWH system has been so much improved.

The new guidelines in accessing projects from DPWH has also been standardized.

It will show the actual unit cost of materials, standard output and manpower output, approved unit costs and the policies and standardized basis per province where the Commission on Audit (COA) will follow in their auditing procedures..

According to Doloiras this standard guideline by province and programming of projects have also clearly provided the necessary procedures.

"Under the PNoy administration DPWH will show how transparent their institution will be in implementing programs and projects .It will also provide the public an assurance of quality and timely program implementation", he said.(MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

PhilHealth bares new case rate packages for members
by Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, August 25 (PIA) -- Here’s good news to members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

The government's health insurance agency has disclosed today that a new case rate packages on selected medical cases and surgical procedures will be implemented starting next week or September 1, 2011 that will be beneficial to both the members and the health care providers.

In a press briefing conducted this morning Dr. Ronald E. Santelices, chief of the Benefit Administration Section of the PhilHealth regional office here, said that the shift to the new case rate payment mechanism from the fee-for-service on selected cases is an internationally accepted payment mechanism and much simpler to administer, more transparent and members will be able to predict how much the health insurance agency would be paying for each of the services.

He said the new system will result to faster reimbursement of fees to both health care providers and to its members.

Santelices said that the new case rate packages are available for all member-types admitted in any of the PhilHealth accredited institutional health care providers nationwide.

He pointed out that members under the sponsorship program and their dependents who are admitted in government hospitals are covered under the “No Balance Billing”(NBB) policy, meaning no other fees nor expenses shall be charged to or paid for by the patient-member above and beyond the package rate when he is discharged from accredited hospitals and non hospital facility.

Among the medical cases and the corresponding package rates are Dengue I (P8,000.00), Dengue II (P16,000.00), Pneumonia I (P15,000.00), Pneumonia II (P32,000.00), Essential Hypertension (P9,000.00), Cerebral Infarction (CVA I, P28,000.00), Cerebro-vascular Accident with Hemorrhage (CVA II, P38,000.00), Acute Gastroenteritis (P6,000.00), Asthma (P9,000.00), Typhoid Fever (P14,000.00), and Newborn Care Package in hospitals and lying-in clinics (P1,750.00).

On the other hand, the surgical procedures include Radiotherapy (P3,000.00 per session), Hemodialysis (P4,000.00 per session), Maternity Care Package (MCP, P8,000.00) coupled with the Normal Spontaneous Delivery (NSD) Package in Level I (P8,000.00) and Levels 2-4 hospitals (P6,500.00), Caesarian Section (P19,000.00), Appendectomy (P24,000.00), Cholecystectomy (P31,000.00), Dilatation and Curettage (P11,000.00), Thyroidectomy (P31,000.00), Herniorrhaphy (P21,000.00), Mastectomy (P22,000.00), Hysterectomy (P30,000.00) and Cataract Surgery (P16,000.00).

Dr. Veronica T. Mateum, officer-in-Charge of PhilHealth r V, meanwhile said that the selected conditions and procedures were based on the 49 percent of total claims paid by Philhealth during the previous years and will help further reduce the turnaround payment for reimbursement to medical care providers and members from the current 22 days to a lesser days. (MAL/EDL, PIA V)