THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is the most trusted social protection agency, garnering a 95 percent trust rating among various government agencies that include social protection agencies. This was based on the results of the 2017 and 5th Philippine Trust Index (PTI) conducted by the communications agency EON Group.
Close on its heels were the Social Security System (94 percent), Department of Education (93 percent), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (91 percent) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (88 percent).
Dubbed “The Philippine Paradox : Growing Trust in a time of Growing Uncertainty, ” the 2017 PTI survey which was conducted from March to April 2017, covered 30 government agencies with 1,200 respondents, aged 18 and above from urban and rural areas in the National Capital Region, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Of the 1,200 general respondents, 600 were classified as “informed public,” or Filipinos who are at least 25 years old with at least three (3) years of tertiary education and who tune in to news updates at least twice a week.
Launched in 2011, the PTI is one of the most reliable nationwide surveys that cull insights and opinions of Filipinos from various socio-economic, educational and demographic backgrounds hailing from urban and rural areas all over the country, and looks into Filipinos’ levels and drivers of trust in six (6) key Philippine institutions – the government, academe, businesses, non-government organizations, church and media.
“We are very honoured by the results of the survey, and as the biggest health insurer in the country, we always consider our members our priority. PhilHealth is about touching peoples’ lives and making a positive difference. The trust rating index is an indication of how PhilHealth listens to its clients and how in-touch it is with what is happening in the field,” said Dr. Celestina Ma. Jude P. de la Serna, PhilHealth’s Interim/OIC, President and CEO.
She added that “this level of trust is crucial to PhilHealth especially since Filipinos heavily rely on the benefit coverage that the National Health Insurance Program provides. For several years now, health care stood high in our people’s minds because service delivery is sustained and improved. We have moved to improve these services further by introducing new policies and programs for the benefit of our members. For 2018 and the years to come, we will do even better to sustain the ranking and uphold the trust of fellow Filipinos.” (END)(Emy M. Retuta)
(Reference: Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, Head Executive Assistant and Concurrent OIC-Vice President for Corporate Affairs Group, Cel No. 0917-8089399)
