The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) was among 35 government agencies that were given recognition by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) recently.

The appreciation awards for development communication partners is the first ever event of this kind tendered by the communication agency to recognize and thank all the agencies in the executive branch that have entrusted their advertising and promotion campaigns to PIA. “This is one way of thanking all our partner-agencies under the executive branch that entrusted their communication campaigns to us by helping them promote their respective programs,” Director Emelyn Libunao of the PIA said. Libunao hopes to do this every year.

PhilHealth was awarded a plaque of appreciation for forging partnership with PIA to communicate its programs for an informed and empowered Filipino citizenry. Leila S. Tuazon, Head Executive Assistant to PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Alexander A. Padilla, said “The partnership with PIA has been very fruitful and collaborative one so far and we also acknowledge their role in helping us reach out to people that we may not be able to reach.” Through the advertising campaign entrusted to PIA, PhilHealth has been able to transcend barriers to make its presence felt and become more visible to people across the regions, “marami na kaming naaabot ngayon at naririnig ko na sa mga radio stations at napapanood ko na sa TV ang aming mga ads,” Tuazon added.

The appreciation fellowship is a demonstration of stronger and closer ties between the PIA and government agencies that enable the government to effectively and efficiently promote the administration’s programs to the public.

Aside from PhilHealth, other partner agencies given recognition were the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Education, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Security System, and the Government Service Insurance System. (Amie L. Buted/CorComm)