The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) once again proved that public service is a public trust as it garnered the 2nd highest excellent rating in the Civil Service Commission‘s (CSC) Anti-Red Tape Report Card Survey (RCS) for 2015 representing 88 excellent ratings out of its 133 Offices. In 2014, the Local Health Insurance Offices (LHIOs) of Abra, Baguio, Mountain Province including the Apayao PhilHealth Business Center received the Seal of Excellence Award for rendering exceptional and quality frontline service, superb working conditions, as well as an overall outstanding client satisfaction.
Committed to its objective of providing the best public service that should be accorded to all its clients, PhilHealth, through its Regional Office in the Cordillera Administrative Region, is persistently devising strategies to amplify the delivery of an exemplar frontline service. The TEXTCSC is one of CSC’s feedback mechanisms in line with the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007 should the public wish to express complaints, commendations, suggestions and request for assistance. These issues are then referred to the concerned agencies for information and appropriate action.
Consequently, on February 2, 2016, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) based in Singapore sent a text message to the CSC Regional Office VI via TextCSCRO6, commending the performance of Joeffry L. Viduya, a PhilHealth collecting officer assigned at the Baguio LHIO, for his laudable service in answering the said client’s PhilHealth inquiries while facilitating his premium payment.
This did not come as a surprise because all of PhilHealth Cordillera’s frontline staff are trained to handle and manage client queries efficiently and to manifest the PhilHealth corporate values while providing service. They are constantly reminded that no client should be short-changed with information when they leave the office premises. This is why even collecting officers are mandated to know PhilHealth policies and circulars to be able to respond to client needs proficiently and adeptly.
In the same way, the Regional Office is conducting policy awareness tests on a quarterly basis to gauge the staff’s familiarity with the current issuances and pinpoint weaknesses in order to come up with appropriate measures to strengthen and boost information dissemination to and by all employees. Dr. Elizabeth S. Fernandez, the Regional Vice President of PhilHealth Cordillera constantly reiterates that all staff, regardless of assigned tasks, should be able to explain the basics of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) to all clients. “No stone should be left unturned in polishing means to intensify and heighten the grasp of all PRO-CAR employees of the NHIP. The excellent ratings conferred to us should prompt us to constantly aim for a higher level of competence in the administration of Kalusugang Pangkalahatan. No one should be left behind in the name of a courteous, honest, efficient, facilitative and prompt delivery of service due to all our members and stakeholders,” Fernandez said. (END) (Lala Manzano, Planning Officer I / Public Affairs Unit, PRO-CAR)