PhRO IVA Taps SLSU for Encoding of Members' Contributions March 27, 2012

The PhilHealth Regional Office IV-A recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) for data encoding services. The MOA was signed by PhRO IV-A Regional Vice President Alberto C. Manduriao and SLSU President Cecilia N. Gascon, PhD.

With the need to address the increasing requirements for the encoding of members' quarterly contribution records from remittance reports of private sector employers, PhRO IVA immediately initiated the negotiation process with SLSU. To date, there are about 2,534,913 premium contribution reports of private sector employers that must be encoded.

Under the MOA, SLSU is tasked to ensure that 160, 000 member records for encoding will be forwarded to PhilHealth weekly until the 90-day period. Aside from data encoding, SLSU shall also be responsible for receiving and controlling reports for encoding, correcting and/ or editing of erroneous data, returning encoded remittance reports with the proof-list and preparing the summary report of encoded data per batch, as well as recommending solutions to identified problems and data integrity and security.

The SLSU has started hiring additional 25 staffmembers to handle the encoding of the reports. These personnel were screened through a series of examinations and speed tests given by the university. At the same time, PhilHealth will orient the SLSU staffmembers on the Standard Encoding Format this month to minimize encoding errors.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the project, representatives from both SLSU and PhilHealth will be present during the 90-day period of the project to answer questions and trouble shoot problems.

Also present during the MOA signing were SLSU officers Estela Dahilig, Director, Business Affairs Office; Buenaventura San Juan, Director, Internal Audit Services; and Conrado Abraham, PhD, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs. PhilHealth Field Operations Division Chief Edgardo T. Ardiente and Collection Section Chief Jofre Silvala were also present. (Sharyll M. Ortiz)