Benefited “Yolanda” survivors in EV

By: Sarwell Q.  Meniano

TACLOBAN CITY – Nearly P5 billion medical expenses have been paid by the national government to survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda” who were confined in various health facilities in the region for the last three years.
This was disclosed by Renato Limsiaco, regional vice president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), during a press conference Monday (February 20).
The state health insurance firm reported 623,145 typhoon survivors who were non-PhilHealth members and those who missed paying their premiums benefited the claims.
“From 2014 to 2016, Eastern Visayas was the only region in the country that experienced the universal coverage in terms of benefits with the implementation of all-can-avail policy after the super typhoon,” Limsiaco said.
The policy, meant for all patients in typhoon-hit region regardless of their membership status, ended on Dec. 31, 2016 or three year after Yolanda hit the Visayas on November 8, 2013.
“Without this policy, we would deprive the 623,145 people from healthcare services,” Limsiaco said, referring to the benefit of the program specially implemented in all areas hit by the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
But the number could still increase as there are still claims that are being processed by their office, Limsiaco said.
The PhilHealth in the region paid claims P4.88 billion. Of this amount, P25.18 million were paid in late 2013, P1.82 billion in 2014, P2.08 billion in 2015, and P962.92 million last year.
To include benefits payment to active members, the government has paid more than P9 billion health insurance claims between late 2013 until last year.
Limsiaco admitted that the regional office suffered losses with the massive claims payment for Yolanda survivors, but it somehow uplifted the regional economy.
In 2016, for instance, the state health insurance firm only earned PHP900 million premium contributions from regular members and PHP2.4 billion from national government’s subsidy for poor families.
“We are thankful that the Philhealth management provided the region with this benefit,” Limsiaco said.
Total collection was P200 million less than the P3.5 million actual benefits payment last year.
Excess contributions from other regions covered the deficiency in Eastern Visayas.

MAASIN CITY- This city will get an alternative link to the commercial district – a 4.71-kilometer coastal bypass road with reclamation component meant to ease traffic woes and expand the city’s development.
The planned road, which will cost P1.5 billion, will get an initial budget of P50 million this year, said Ma. Margarita C. Junia, chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Southern Leyte district engineering office.
The proposed road, one of the key infrastructure projects in the region, will connect the city’s commercial center in Barangay Lib-og to nearby populated village of Mambajao. It will traverse coastal barangays of Abgao, Tunga-Tunga and Combado.
The preliminary release, strongly lobbied by Rep. Roger Mercado for inclusion in the 2017 appropriations, will be used for the preparation of feasibility study for multi-year implementation, initial road construction, and some slope protection.
“The main roads leading to the city center are already congested even if those roads are restricted to one lane,” Junia said, referring in particular to R. Kangleon and Tomas Oppus Streets.
“We cannot expand to the other side of the city since it’s mountainous,” she added.
Maasin, a fourth class city and capital of Southern Leyte province, has a land area of 211.70 square kilometers with a population of 85,560.
The city’s terrain is characterized by relatively flat lands along the coastal plains where population areas lay, and becomes rugged and mountainous towards the interior
DPWH Southern Leyte planning section chief Vincent Sy said the proposed budget for the project in 2018 is P200 million.
“Releases in the next years will mainly depend on the outcome of feasibility study, which will be completed within the first half of the year,” Sy added.
The project is in compliance to Secretary Mark Villar’s directive to decongest traffic through construction of by-pass roads in populated areas. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The 63- year old mother of a former mayoralty candidate in San Jorge, Samar was shot to death Sunday (February 19), just minutes after attending a Mass.
The victim, Luz Bisnar, was hit at her head and died while being brought to the Gandara District Hospital at the nearby town of Gandara, also in Samar, for treatment.
Bisnar, 63, has just attended the Sunday mass when still unknown assailants shot her at about 9:15 am while she was walking along Mancol Street of said town, just 50 meters away from the Church.
Local police, as of press time, have yet to identify the suspects and their reason for shooting and killing the old woman.
The victim was the mother of Lester Bisnar who ran for mayor but was defeated by Mayor Joseph Grey during the May 2016 elections.
Bisnar himself figured in an ambush try last January 28.
Four days later, bombs were lobbed at the three houses of Mayor Grey while his wife, Vice Mayor Nancy Grey, was also ambushed but survived the attempt on Feb.6.
San Jorge has long been identified as one of Samar’s “hot areas” during elections.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Vows to support Mayor Romualdez as new RDC head

ORMOC CITY- Mayor Richard Gomez said that he will be lobbying several high-ticket projects for his city before the Regional Development Council (RDC) as he extended his congratulation to the newly-named chair of the said council, Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez.
Gomez, a movie actor, said that he has several projects that he would like for the RDC to endorse and support which are all aim to help improve Ormoc.
Among the projects that he would seek support from the RDC are infrastructure projects like access roads, bridges and reclamation projects.
The Ormoc city mayor will also ask for the RDC support to invite investors who are into sugar milling to help support the sugarcane industry not only in Ormoc but the nearby town of Kananga.
“We will also ask from the RDC to help us in providing housing projects for residents in the city who are living along coastal areas,” Gomez added.
Meantime, Gomez extended his congratulation to Mayor Romualdez with her appointment as the new RDC chair.
Romualdez, who is serving on her first term like her co-actor Gomez, was officially named to the post by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 9.
She vowed to help implement projects not only for Tacloban but for the rest of the region, particularly in the three provinces of Samar which are among the most depressed provinces in the country.
“She’s the choice of the President. Who am I to oppose it? We have to respect that. What we can do now as mayors and leaders is to support the new RDC chair on her plans for the region,” Gomez said.
Gomez was among the four nominated by the 60-member council to head the highest policy-making body of the region.
Also nominated were Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, the outgoing RDC chair. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)