"Sana nga ay unti-unti nang bumalik ang tiwala ng mamamayan sa uri ng ating pamahalaang may integridad, kahusayan at may pananagutan. Sama-sama po nating baguhin ang pananaw ng ating mga kababayan dahil hindi na PUWEDE NA kundi PUWEDENG-PUWEDE dahil ito ang tunay na kahanga-hanga at maipagmamalaking serbisyo publiko mula sa mga lingkod bayani ng pamahalaan."
This was the message imparted by Alicia de la Rosa-Bala, Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) Chairperson in the recently concluded 3rd ARTA Assembly held at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Quezon City.
Dubbed “Sama-Sama sa Isang Dekada ng ARTA at Pagkilala sa Matapat at Mahusay sa Serbisyo Pampubliko,” the assembly recognized the performance of frontline units with excellent ratings and for passing the stringent validation phases set by CSC for the 2015 Report Card Survey.
Speaking on behalf of Dr. Celestina Ma. Jude P. de la Serna, Interim/OIC President and CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, PhilHealth OIC-Vice President for Corporate Affairs Group and Head Executive Assistant emphasized that the event is an opportune time to retrospect on how PhilHealth has effectively complied with ARTA for the past ten (10) years, ensuring that products and services of PhilHealth consistently meet customers’ requirements.
“As a responsible corporate institution, PhilHealth strives to align its initiatives with what is mandated, in a bid to achieve total customer delight. Its efforts towards being an ARTA compliant government institution began last 2009 and several of our offices have garnered the most coveted citations, commendations and awards from the CSC for their consistent display of efficiency in service delivery, considered the pillars of genuine, dedicated public service.”
Former Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell Ubial stated that “PhilHealth has been at the fore front in achieving universal coverage for all Filipinos giving importance to delivering prompt and quality service. It is therefore heart warming to note that its efforts have been constantly recognized by the CSC as it continuously confers PhilHealth with the most coveted Citizens Satisfaction Center Seal of Excellence award in the first and second quarter of this year,” Ubial added that “as a result, PhilHealth recently topped the 5th Philippine Trust Index survey conducted by the EON Group as the most trusted agency transacted by the people.”
Bestowed with the CSC’s Seal of Excellence Awards were various Local Health Insurance Offices (LHIOs) for their commitment to beat red tape in the government. Garnering the five-star award are LHIOs Bangued, Abra, Baguio City, Ilagan City, Mandaluyong City, City of Manila, Tanauan City, Calbayog Business Center, Davao City and Parang, Maguindanao.
In addition, LHIOs in Santiago City, Caloocan City, Quezon City, Cainta, Daet, Carcar, Maasin, Borongan, Iligan City, Balanga, Bataan and Nabunturan obtained four-star recognitions. On the other hand, the three-star awards were conferred on LHIOs in the cities of Cauayan, Iloilo and Catbalogan.
Part of the event was the cutting of the red ribbon by representatives of ARTA priority agencies such as PhilHealth, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Fire Protection, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Laguna Lake Development Authority, Social Security System and Government Service Insurance System. The activity symbolized the elimination of bureaucratic red tape in government offices.
A ceremonial wearing of the Red Tape Buster Pin was also highlighted, with Ruben John A. Basa, PhilHealth’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, leading the Heads of Anti-Red Tape (HART), PhilHealth Anti-Red Tape Officers (PARTOs) and LHIO Heads in reciting the Pledge of Employees against Red Tape.
The event also included the ceremonial wearing of the Anti- Red Tape Buster Coat by the ARTA-responsible officer of the Corporation.
Video presentations featuring the Story of ARTA as well as PhilHealth’s milestones in the implementation of ARTA were shown. The video materials highlighted ARTA as an effective way of fighting corruption, promoting transparency and maintaining service standards. The CSC’s coffee table book entitled “Breakthough: Game Changers in Public Frontline Service Delivery” where LHIO Santiago City was featured, was also launched. The book features service offices across the regions that were chosen from among the recipients of the Citizens Seal of Excellence Award and ARTA Breakthrough Agency awards.
An exhibit featuring the PhilHealth Story, Queuing System for PhilHealth Frontline Units, CSC Seal of Excellence Awards as well as the Corporate Action Center’s roles and functions were put up at the PhilHealth ARTA assembly venue.
Singer-songwriter Richard Mauro Bugho of PhilHealth Regional Office VIII wrote “Dekada na ang ARTA,” which he performed together with colleague May Barnaba Roa.
The state-run health insurance corporation’s 17 Regional Offices, 17 LHIOs and two (2) Branches were also recognized during this activity for passing the ISO 9001:2008 standards. (END) (Emelita M. Retuta, photos Jose Mari Sanvicente)
(Reference: Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, Head Executive Assistant and Concurrent OIC-Vice President for Corporate Affairs Group, Cel No. 0917-8089399)