ILOILO – The Iloilo Provincial Federation of Associations of Persons with Disabilities is asking the national government for additional medical privileges as they celebrated the 14th Women with Disability Day recently.
Federation president Bonifacio Castigador said they wanted the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a law that would mandate the automatic insurance coverage of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Castigador said if there would be an automatic enrollment in PhilHealth, they won’t anymore rely on local government units sponsoring their premiums.
He added that though PhilHealth has a Point of Service Program providing insurance coverage to anyone who is a non-member during admission in public hospitals, the automatic coverage for PWDs would be better.
Iloilo has about 14,000 registered PWDs, according to Rycel Joy Prieto, the PWD focal person of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.
The Women with Disability Day celebration was recently held to raise awareness on the situation of women with such conditions and to promote positive attitudes, role models and opportunities for their development.
It was supposed to be held every last Monday of March based on Proclamation No. 744 but the celebration here was held in advance since March 26 fell on Holy Week.
Speaker Judith Barredo of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 and Christina De Guzman of Department of Health Region 6 were invited to reorient the PWDs of their rights under the law and promote the prevention of disabilities, respectively. (Jezza Nepomoceno, Capitol News/PN)
