Filipinos have expressed high satisfaction with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) with a net satisfaction rating of 93.75 percent for the year 2022, higher by more than three percent from 90.19 percent in 2021 and the highest since 2019.

This was the result of a study conducted by Novo Trends PH, Inc. in September 2022 with 3,000 individual member-respondents who have availed of various services in select PhilHealth frontline offices in all regional offices nationwide. Other respondents include employers and/or their representatives with 1,000 interviewees, and health care institutions and professionals with 500 interviewees each.

Novo Trends PH, Inc. is an independent social research survey company specializing in collection and analysis of social, political, economic and business data. It was engaged by PhilHealth for the said survey using a questionnaire developed and prescribed by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) in 2018 for use by all government owned and controlled corporations such as PhilHealth.
Individual customers and healthcare institutions gave significantly higher net satisfaction ratings in 2022 than in previous years, with the latter giving PhilHealth a net satisfaction rating of 86.79 percent, followed by employers at 86.31 percent, and health care professionals at 79.83 percent, all of which are considered excellent ratings.

Among the respondents, individual customers gave high net satisfaction rating for two consecutive years, citing “quality of PhilHealth staff and services they received” and quality of transactions described as “organized, systematic, fast, and easy” as basis for the rating.

They also expressed satisfaction over the information given them especially about the requirements in availing of benefits, the environment and facilities at the Local Health Insurance Offices, and for the benefits that they and their families have received during hospitalization.

Individual respondents from PhilHealth Regional Office (PRO) CARAGA and BARMM showed the highest net satisfaction rating both at 98.67 percent, followed by PROs II and NCR North (covering Caloocan, Manila, Navotas, Valenzuela, Malabon and Mandaluyong) with 98 percent, and PROs V and VIII with both 97.33 percent.

Healthcare institutions, which gave the lowest rating to PhilHealth in 2021, reported a significant improvement in net rating from 77.14 percent to 86.79 percent or a 9.65 percent increase. Feedback gathered include “mabilis ang transactions, mabait ang staff” and “payment for our reimbursement is now more updated than the previous years”. Majority of the representatives of health care providers went to the LHIOs to submit requirements for their accreditation. PROs BARMM and III-A got 100 percent net satisfaction ratings each, followed by NCR North, XII and CARAGA with 96 percent each, and CAR with 89.47 percent.

For employers/representatives, PhilHealth received a net satisfaction of 86.31 percent. They cited “convenience in payment” and “polite employees and specified information given to client when some queries are asked” as reasons for their satisfaction. Employer representatives gave PRO 3A a 100 percent net satisfaction rating followed by PRO 12 at 98 percent while PROs BARMM, NCR North, V and VIII got 94 percent each.
On the other hand, health care professionals noted the “very fast action and people courteous to all” and “malaki ang improvement ng services at facilities, convenient sa client”.

In general, respondents said that top factors affecting PhilHealth’s performance are the LHIOs’ accessibility, physical space and appearance, queueing arrangements, cleanliness, and well-trained and knowledgeable staff who also treat customers with respect, fairness, and prompt action for their requests and queries.

Meanwhile, PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. expressed elation over the 2022 results, and vowed to continue implementing reforms for the benefit of millions of Filipinos here and abroad. “Nagsalita na ang mga tao sa tunay na saloobin nila sa PhilHealth. Kami po ay lubos na natutuwa sa magandang balitang ito at ito ay dahil sa pagsisikap ng buong Team PhilHealth. Makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na ipagpapatuloy namin ang de-kalidad na serbisyo para lalo nilang maramdaman ang mga benepisyo ng PhilHealth at Universal Health Care.” (PR)

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO), together with other government agencies and private groups, joins the launching of the month-long Coastal Clean-up Drive Activity in celebration of the Month of the Ocean on May 9, 2023 at Baybay Boulevard, Borongan City.

An executive order was issued by Governor Ben Evardone on May 3, 2023, an order enjoining all component local government units and national agencies in the provinces of Eastern Samar to participate the celebration of the Month of the Ocean.

In support to this order, DPWH employees were gathered and joined the kick-off activity of the coastal clean-up drive and gathered 164.5 kilogram of plastic wastes at the assigned area in Baybay Boulevard, Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

District Engineer Alvin A. Ignacio said that Eastern Samar District Engineering Office will join and support this kind of activity which helps restore and preserve the environment.

“I have heard that Eastern Samar DEO has been active in this kind of activity like coastal clean-up and tree planting. With my leadership, we will continue doing these meaningful activities because taking good care of our environment is our social responsibility not only as government employees but also as private individuals as well,” added DE Ignacio.

Meanwhile, Governor Ben Evardone added that the launching of the celebration of the month of the Ocean was a province wide activity.
(JAYSON ESPESO/PR)

ORMOC CITY-A farmer shot another farmer over a heated argument in Caibiran, Biliran on Wednesday (May 10) at about 5 pm.

The local police said that the suspect Norberto Rosales, 60, claimed that Reynaldo de la Cruz, 28, purposely released his carabao which led to the destruction of his plants in Barangay Kawayanon.

The suspect confronted the victim who denied the allegation. Irked, he then shot the victim using a homemade firearm.

The victim was referred to the Biliran Provincial Hospital (BPH) in Naval, Biliran for medical treatment.

The Caibiran police immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect at his house and recovered the firearm he used in shooting the victim.
The suspect is now detained at the Caibiran MPS.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-A born-again Christian pastor died due to drowning while swimming at the deeper portion of a river in Abuyog, Leyte at about 5:45 pm Monday (May 8), in Malasiga River Brgy. Libertad Abuyog, Leyte.

Police identified the victim as Ariel Balilo, 61, and a resident of Fine City Royal Brgy. San Roque Antipolo City.

Investigation conducted by the Abuyog police revealed that the victim together with their church mates were taking a bath at the Malasiga River when Edgar Parom, also a pastor, lost his balance due to the strong current of the water.

He said that a certain “John” helped him to get back on his balance and bring him beside the river.

Pastor Balilo saw the incident and swam toward them. However, he reportedly fell short of breathing when he got into the deep part of the river.

Two of his church mates tried to help the victim by pulling his hands but due to the deep water and his large body, he unfortunately submerged and took several minutes to locate the victim’s body since the water was unclear and blurry.

He added that after finding Pastor Balilo’s body, they immediately gave him first aid by performing CPR and later brought him to the Abuyog District Hospital where he was declared as dead on arrival.(ROBERT DEJON)

PALO, Leyte– the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially opened its extension office in Eastern Visayas with the inauguration of its office on Thursday (May 11).
The SEC office is located inside the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) at the Government Center, this town.

SEC Chairman Emilio Aquino said that the putting of SEC-Tacloban extension office was upon the recommendation of House Speaker Martin Romualdez aside from a resolution endorsed by the Regional Development Council in 2021.

But it was learned that as early as 1983, there was already a move to have an SEC office in Eastern Visayas but for some reason did not materialize.

Aquino also said that it is timely for their office to have an extension office considering of the improving economic condition of Eastern Visayas.

“Today, we are not only celebrating the inauguration of the SEC Tacloban extension office but also ushering in an even more conducive and more robust environment for business and investment in Eastern Visayas,” he said in his speech.

“(The office) will serve as a gateway to doing business in Eastern Visayas,” he added.
Based on their record, there are about 10,456 corporations from the region that are registered at their office.

With the establishment of their extension office, there is now no need for those who want to avail their services to go to Manila or Cebu, Aquino said.

The SEC-Tacloban office is the 10th extension office of SEC and fourth in the Visayas.
Meantime, Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla expressed his gratitude to the SEC for putting up their own regional extension office.

“SEC is most welcome here,” he said.

NEDA Regional Director Meylene Rosales said that it was timely for SEC to open its extension office in Eastern Visayas considering that its economy is doing well.

She disclosed that the economy of the region grew by 6.8%, higher by .8 percent compared to the previous year.

’That means we are bouncing back(from the pandemic),” Rosales said.

The SEC-Tacloban extension office is headed by lawyer Desiree Cuenco.

Also present during the inauguration were all four commissioners of the office.

(JOEY A. GABIETA/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)