PHNOM PENH, Cambodia---Filipinos here recently had their member data records with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) updated, their identification cards printed and their questions on membership and benefits availment answered.

Through the 2nd Inter-Agency Mission for Filipino Nationals organized by the Philippine Embassy and the Samahan ng mga Pilipino sa Cambodia (SAMAPI), hundreds of Filipinos working here were able to avail themselves of various frontline services from government agencies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Aside from PhilHealth, other government agencies that joined the Mission were Social Security System, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Labor and Employment. The Philippine Embassy also processed Embassy IDs, while registration of overseas Filipinos for the 2016 presidential elections was also facilitated.

Among the services availed of by PhilHealth members during the two-day activity were verification and on-the-spot updating of their MDRs, and printing of their PhilHealth ID cards. Others sought clarification on their PhilHealth concerns such as availment of benefits if admitted overseas, declaration of live-in partner as legal dependent, posting of premium contributions, payment of premium contributions and entitlement to benefits of their legal dependents in the Philippines. Information materials addressing these concerns were also distributed.

Most of the members who visited the PhilHealth section during the Mission were either teachers or garment factory supervisors who have been working here for at least three years. Others were closed circuit television and construction supervisors, writers for a local paper, and missionaries of an international religious organization.

Ambassador Noe A. Wong, who earlier had his MDR updated and his ID printed, thanked the composite team from Manila and Singapore for providing the frontline services to the Filipino community. He mulled on the possibility of making the activity an annual undertaking to better serve the needs of the FilCom, not only here in Phnom Penh, but also from other parts of Cambodia.

Vice Consul Monika Kamille Limpo also acknowledged the support of participating government agencies since the Mission was first organized in 2013.

The PhilHealth Team was composed of Emelyn Saavedra of the Overseas Filipinos Program Office, Carina Corral of Tuguegarao Local Health Insurance Office and the author. (Maria Sophia B. Varlez)