As festivals abound during the summer season which draws in tourists and locals, the PhilHealth Regional Office IV-A tapped two festivals in Quezon Province to feature its services and benefits, and significantly reinforce awareness of the public on PhilHealth.

Seizing this opportunity, teams from PRO IVA and Local Health Insurance Office – Lucena City trooped to Lucban and Lucena City for the annual Pahiyas and Pasayahan Festivals.

Pahiyas Festival

The Pahiyas Festival 2017 in Lucban, Quezon is being celebrated every May 15 to honor San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, peasants and laborers.

As one of the country’s biggest and most colorful harvest festivals, Pahiyas has become an annual tradition for some tourists frequenting the festival. With the influx of tourists joining the Pahiyas Festival yearly, it is an opportune time to promote PhilHealth programs and benefits as well as create more exposure through displays of tarpaulins and perk up people’s awareness on PhilHealth through an information booth.

The three-day information booth/ online registration facility for local tourists as well as for Lucbanins was received warmly as a total of 262 clients were served and entertained. Transactions were mostly inquiries, updating of information and ID printing. Clients who visited the booth were asked to draw lots for their respective tokens.

Aside from the information booth, PhilHealth also sponsored the cash prize for the best designed Arangya as well as the PhilHealth premium coverage for the PhilHealth Ambassadors in the Ginoo and Binibining Parikitan Pahiyas Festival 2017 pageant.

The sponsorship also included the lamp post tarpaulins displayed in some streets and the inclusion of PhilHealth's logo in the tarpaulin for the arc of the Ginoo and Binibining Parkitan 2017 candidates and winners during the parade.

PhilHealth's involvement in the festival was capped with the participation of 98 employees to the grand parade.

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Pasayahan Festival

Pasayahan sa Lucena is an annual celebration that aims to promote and boost the tourism industry in Lucena City. It is a three-day celebration featuring colorful costumes and symbolic floats that parade along the main street of the city. The festivity is highlighted by dancing, singing, and merry-making on the street ala Mardi Gras.

For this year's celebration, PRO IV-A joined in the Grand Parade through the "HAT" Chami -Tinapa Contest. The "HAT" is a personalized hat decorating contest open to all organizations within Lucena City. This year's theme was "Tara na sa Lucena, Tatlong Dekada na."

During the parade, the PRO IV-A contingent, composed of 82 staff, not only displayed their chami-tinapa inspired HAT decorated with recycled materials but also tarpaulins highlighting PhilHealth services and benefits. (END) (Sharyll O. Carpio)

(Reference: Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, Head Executive Assistant and Concurrent OIC-Vice President for Corporate Affairs Group, Tel. 0917-8089399)