400 Poor Families in Talim Island Receive Health Insurance February 10, 2011

ALMOST 400 indigent families from the three barangays of Talim Island received their passports to health insurance coverage, courtesy of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Rizal through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

The distribution of the PhilHealth ID cards was carried out at the covered court of Barangay Gulod. On hand to distribute the ID cards to the recipient families were Rhea Ynares, representing her father, Mayor Cecilio "Boyet" Ynares and some employees of the Binangonan municipality, who boarded a pumpboat for almost an hour just to reach the place.

Talim island is an islet in the province of Rizal that is not known to many. Despite being a little further from the mainland, it is still part of the province. It is located at the center of Laguna de Bay, under the municipality of Binangonan on the western side and the municipality of Cardona on the eastern side. The island consists of 26 barangays, 17 from Binangonan and nine (9) from Cardona.

Health is one of the top government priorities in the province, hence health care services are being ensured to advance medical efficiency. At present, there are 24 hospitals, 18 Maternity Care Package Providers (MCPPs), four (4) Outpatient Benefit Package (OPB) Providers and one (1) Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (TB-DOTS) facilities already accredited.

In her brief message, Ynares, who also sits as President of the Serany Foundation, assured PhilHealth of their foundation's support for this endeavor. She also pledged additional enrollees specifically among those listed in the National Household Targetting System (NHTS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the months to come.

Delio Aseron II, Rizal Service Office Head of PhilHealth NCR Central Branch specified the benefits that the card recipients and their dependents can avail themselves of when confined in accredited hospitals.