PhilHealth

PhilHealth eyes setting up service office in Riyadh 09-18-2024

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Consistent with its mandate to ensure that all Filipinos are provided with financial protection against health risks wherever they are, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) recently met with the Philippine Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires in Saudi Arabia Rommel A. Romato to explore the establishment of a PhilHealth service office in Riyadh. Both parties share the goal of providing PhilHealth services to OFWs and their dependents, which include membership registration and update, premium contribution payment, benefit availment, and information dissemination campaigns.

According to a 2022 Philippine Statistics Authority Survey on Overseas Filipinos, 23% of the 1.96 million OFWs are in Riyadh. PhilHealth is eyeing the launch of the office within the first quarter of 2025. This is envisioned to be the central hub of PhilHealth services in the Middle East and could be the starting point of expanding the State Agency’s reach not just in Saudi Arabia but also in other countries.

Apart from the exploratory talks, the PhilHealth Team also participated in the Embassy on Wheels (EOW) Mission conducted at the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia. The delegation, led by the Regional Vice President for BARMM Datu Masiding Alonto, Jr., likewise led a Service Mission in Buraidah and Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia in line with fulfilling PhilHealth’s vision of “Bawat Filipino, Miyembro. Bawat Miyembro, Protektado. Kalusugan ng Lahat, Segurado.”

They provided frontline services such as issuance of Member Data Records (MDRs) and PhilHealth IDs, updating of membership records, and attending to member queries, as well as, disseminating information and education materials to members abroad. They also met with leaders and members of various Overseas Filipino Worker organizations in the region.