With almost 900,000 indigent households to cover, and with the goal of ensuring that accurate information reaches each valued member, the PhilHealth Regional Office IV-B partnered with the Field Office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to pilot and sustain a quarterly information campaign activity with the Provincial and Municipal Links of the Province of Batangas. Dubbed “Alaga Ka for Links,” the activity has been ongoing since 2015 and covers Batangas which has a total of three cities and 31 municipalities.

In coordination with Rosemarie Fabros-Alvez, Provincial Link, PhilHealth has organized a series of Alaga Ka sessions for the group at different venues namely: Lipa City previously in District 4, Batangas City previously in District 2, Lemery in District 1 and Tanauan City in District 3. All Local Government Units (LGUs) were well-represented and their respective LINKs expressed willingness to acquire new knowledge and updates on the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).

Under the tutelage of PhilHealth Regional Vice President Paolo Johann C. Perez, the project also aims to empower and capacitate the LINKs to become PhilHealth advocates at the grassroots level. Further, the undertaking paved the way for communication channels to open between PhilHealth and the LINKs where concerns on membership registration and benefits were resolved through coordinative activities among all concerned parties including PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Offices and Accredited Health Care Institutions and Professionals.

In every “Alaga Ka for LINKs,” significant basic and updated information on membership registration and benefits availment are being imparted by speakers from the PRO IV-B spearheaded by the Marketing Team of the Membership Section-Field Operations Division. All previous concerns raised during the open forum are being reviewed before each Alaga Ka schedule to make sure that specific issues are addressed and acted upon accordingly. All suggestions and recommendations of concerned parties are likewise noted and documented as reference for future plans and programs and as inputs for policy development or enhancement. Alvez has repeatedly expressed gratitude and appreciation of the project, adding that the DSWD considers the endeavor as one of the best practices in the CALABARZON area.

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The DSWD LINKs are deployed in LGUs to support the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). PhilHealth is honored to have a strong partner with a shared mission to help uplift the living conditions of the poorest of the poor. In service of the Batangueños, PRO IV-B is indeed linked with the LINKs and soon, even wider networks will be built in the MIMAROPA islands too. (END) (Dr. Mary Arlene Calalo-Villena, PRO IV-B)