By Jel Santos
The Universal Health Care (UHC) will get maximum fund support, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes assured President Duterte on Monday.
UHC is the flagship health program of President Duterte’s administration.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) | Manila Bulletin
The agency’s gaming sector, PCSO said, will intensify its operations to raise more funds from its Lotto products, Sweepstakes and Small Town Lottery (STL).
“With the UHC law on the works by both Houses of Congress, the President is assured PCSO will work hard to provide more funds for free hospitalization of patients especially the indigents who can’t even afford to buy their own medicines. Patients afflicted with life-threatening illness such as those who need chemotherapy and radiation and dialysis treatments, implant and transplant operations, and even those who need wheelchair, hearing aids were already made easier for them to avail financial assistance through the UHC via the Malasakit Centers,” Alexander Balutan, PCSO general manager, said.
After some confusions about the transfer of PCSO’s 30% charity fund under the Senate version, Balutan said this has been clarified and agreed that the whole Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) should be fully transferred Philhealth.
The IMAP is the flagship project of PCSO that comprises services such as financial assistance for hospital bill, chemo/radiation and dialysis treatments and other medical services to patients that needs immediate financial assistance.
“I want to thank our Senators for listening to our concerns and hopefully everything will be fine and the UHC would become a law soon,” he said.
According to the general manager, PCSO services under its institutional partnership program would be retained such as the ambulance donation, calamity assistance, capability building for regional health units, medicines procurement, the Integrated Health for Overall Productivity and Empowerment (I-HOPE), endowment fund, among others. This comprises 60% of the charity fund.
The UHC bi-cameral conference is expected within the first and second weeks of September and this would be transmitted to the Office of the President in the 3rd or 4th week of the said month.
“Since the President already certified the UHC bill as urgent everyone is expecting him to sign it into law before the start of the filing of certificate of candidacy in the first week of October,” PCSO said.
Balutan said PCSO already produced almost P31 billion in revenues in the first semester, saying the agency is on track of its projected revenue of P55-B to P60-B this year.
“I’m confident we can reach the target with the full support of the President and of course the gaming public. We have to intensify our campaign against jueteng and all forms of illegal numbers games by expanding further our STL operations in all cities and provinces. Our STL already earned P12.3-B from January to June and the current 79 Authorized STL Agents deserve commendation for helping this government provide funds for health programs and free medical services to the people,” he ended.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) | Manila Bulletin
The agency’s gaming sector, PCSO said, will intensify its operations to raise more funds from its Lotto products, Sweepstakes and Small Town Lottery (STL).
“With the UHC law on the works by both Houses of Congress, the President is assured PCSO will work hard to provide more funds for free hospitalization of patients especially the indigents who can’t even afford to buy their own medicines. Patients afflicted with life-threatening illness such as those who need chemotherapy and radiation and dialysis treatments, implant and transplant operations, and even those who need wheelchair, hearing aids were already made easier for them to avail financial assistance through the UHC via the Malasakit Centers,” Alexander Balutan, PCSO general manager, said.
After some confusions about the transfer of PCSO’s 30% charity fund under the Senate version, Balutan said this has been clarified and agreed that the whole Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) should be fully transferred Philhealth.
The IMAP is the flagship project of PCSO that comprises services such as financial assistance for hospital bill, chemo/radiation and dialysis treatments and other medical services to patients that needs immediate financial assistance.
“I want to thank our Senators for listening to our concerns and hopefully everything will be fine and the UHC would become a law soon,” he said.
According to the general manager, PCSO services under its institutional partnership program would be retained such as the ambulance donation, calamity assistance, capability building for regional health units, medicines procurement, the Integrated Health for Overall Productivity and Empowerment (I-HOPE), endowment fund, among others. This comprises 60% of the charity fund.
The UHC bi-cameral conference is expected within the first and second weeks of September and this would be transmitted to the Office of the President in the 3rd or 4th week of the said month.
“Since the President already certified the UHC bill as urgent everyone is expecting him to sign it into law before the start of the filing of certificate of candidacy in the first week of October,” PCSO said.
Balutan said PCSO already produced almost P31 billion in revenues in the first semester, saying the agency is on track of its projected revenue of P55-B to P60-B this year.
“I’m confident we can reach the target with the full support of the President and of course the gaming public. We have to intensify our campaign against jueteng and all forms of illegal numbers games by expanding further our STL operations in all cities and provinces. Our STL already earned P12.3-B from January to June and the current 79 Authorized STL Agents deserve commendation for helping this government provide funds for health programs and free medical services to the people,” he ended.