Living in this modern computer age with almost everything relatively interconnected and just a click away, we all have to embrace changes and advances in technology and lifestyle to keep up with the race. PhilHealth has formidably taken on the challenge to continuously develop database systems that are at par with the latest. Its portal (www.philhealth.gov.ph) provides readily available and user-friendly online services to everyone's delight.

Gone are the days when remittance reports of employers were filled out and submitted manually. Preparing these reports was tedious and time-consuming for the personnel in-charge. Gone too, are the days when updating and posting of employees' contributions would take some time, when loads of remittance reports pile up for review, evaluation and manual encoding into the PMAIS. All that is history now, with the advent of the Electronic Premium Reporting System (EPRS). Indeed, the EPRS is one remarkable milestone in PhilHealth’s contributions processing.

To attest to these life-changing developments at work, we talked to our proactive PhilHealth Employer Engagement Representatives (PEERs) from both government and private sectors.

A surprise visit and chat with Gemma G. Sanico, the PEER of the Provincial Government of Surigao del Sur yielded positive results. According to Sanico, EPRS was a huge "before and after" transition. The old method of preparing the remittance report took almost a month; now, it takes less than 20 to 30 minutes with the EPRS, and that work has never been this convenient and efficient, she added with a smile. The Provincial Government of Surigao del Sur is one of the extra-large employers with almost a thousand employees, which means a long and lengthy desk work for its PEER. However, since adopting the very user-friendly EPRS, Sanico claimed that online posting of contributions became hassle-free.

Another active partner from the Private Sector who greeted us with a big warm smile upon our visit was Cristina C. Dumpa, the PEER of Villa Maria Luisa Hotel, Inc. She openly expressed her content and satisfaction with how EPRS made her job so convenient, easy and stress-free. Dumpa pointed out that even at the comfort of her home, she can manage to do her work with only a laptop computer and good Internet connection. "I could access the EPRS anytime, anywhere as it is very handy, portable and user-friendly," she adds.

Apart from these two exemplary PEERS, a long list of equally notable PEERs from different agencies in our locality would gladly share their thoughts, good words and experiences about PhilHealth's EPRS. Truly, EPRS has greatly touched the lives of our partners in the Formal Economy. Kudos to the hands and brains behind the success of EPRS. (END) (LHIO Tandag City-PRO CARAGA)