URDANETA CITY–Pangasinan may be the most populated province in the country with a high number of indigents but it also prides itself today as having the biggest number of poor families with access to free health care.
Governor Amado Espino Jr., who on his first term as chief of the province placed the health sector as one among his administration's top priority, has raised the number of Pangasinan's enrollees in the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) to 85,000.
The latest distribution of 10,600 PhilHealth cards was held Thursday to residents in the 5th District, including 5,000 in this city.
“Gov. Espino does this without any political color, unlike others who enroll the poor people only during election period,” said Urdaneta Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr.
The provincial government spends P40 million per year for the health insurance cards.
“We are already the biggest in terms of enrollment,” Espino proudly announced as he pointed out that his administration's goal is to give the 120,000 families, identified as among the poorest of the poor in the province, universal access to PhilHealth.
Comments