KUMPIYANSA ang Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) na maisasama ang mga accomplishment nito sa darating na State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. partikular ang mas mataas na benepisyong ibinibigay nito sa mga miyembro.

Sa kanyang talumpati sa groundbreaking ceremony para sa itatayong specialty hospital para sa kanser, nagpasalamat si PhilHealth President Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. si Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez sa ibinigay nitong hamon sa kanya gayundin ang suporta mula sa Kamara de Representantes upang mapaganda ang benepisyong nakukuha ng mga miyembro sa ahensya.

“I have been with PhilHealth for 18 months. From the day I joined, I promised President Marcos and the First Lady that we would move PhilHealth forward and we would really address the healthcare of all Filipinos,” ani Ledesma.

“Prinamis ko po siya, and Speaker, I can assure you, and I’ve assured the First Lady and the President just last week, that in the upcoming SONA, a lot of accomplishments will come from PhilHealth and the Department of Health,” dagdag pa nito.

Kasama sina Romualdez, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co ng Ako Bicol Partylist, Public Works and Highways Sec. Manuel Bonoan, at mga lokal na opisyal at mambabatas sa pagpapasinaya ng Cancer Center sa Quezon City noong Biyernes.

Ang House Committee on Appropriations ang naghanap ng pondo para maitayo ang istruktura ng Cancer Center na alinsunod sa nakasaad sa Republic Act (RA) No. 11215 at Resource Stratified Framework na itinakda ng National Integrated Cancer Control Council.

Kinilala ni Ledesma ang ginawa ni Speaker Romualdez upang maipatupad nito ang repormang kinakailangan sa PhilHealth para mas pakinabangan ito ng mga Pilipino.

“I would like to thank Speaker Martin. Speaker, I don’t know if you recall, day one ko sa PhilHealth, sinabi mo sa akin, full support kami, basta no room for failure, failure is not an option,” saad ni Ledesma.

“I accepted your challenge, Speaker, and I’d like to think, based on the words of PBBM, so far, Speaker, we have delivered. Although the best is yet to come, Speaker. Promise po ‘yan,” sabi pa niya.

Paglalahad ni Ledesma oras na magbukas ang Philippine Cancer Center ay agad itong isasama sa contracted partners ng PhilHealth upang matulungan ang mga pasyenteng may kanser at magbenepisyo sa health package ng ahensya.

“Let me assure you that PhilHealth will maintain its commitment to battle cancer at every step. We are one with the Philippine Cancer Center’s mission of bringing hope to every Filipino in the fight against cancer,” wika niya.

Kamakailan lang ay itinaas ng PhilHealth ang breast cancer coverage nito sa ilalim ng Z-Benefit program.

“After more than a decade, this particular package will see an increase of more than tenfold, 13 times to be exact po. A coverage of up to P1.4 million shall be afforded to breast cancer patients. The previous amount was P100,000, and just recently we had increased it 14 times to P1.4 million,” saad pa nito.

“I’d like to think we were able to move forward substantially, and with the 24/7 never-ending support and help of our dear Speaker Martin Romualdez, we continue to do so,” saad pa ni Ledesma.