SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Bulacan – Mayor Angelito Sarmiento here Sunday vowed to make 30,000 residents of the city beneficiaries of the government health insurance program.

Last Friday, while the nation celebrates Christmas, the city government headed by Sarmiento awarded 50 indigent and persons with disabilities residing in this city their individual Philhealth cards.

It was learned that earlier, 400 city residents, PWDs and senior citizens also received their Philhealth insurance cards.

Access to health services is one of the flagship programs of Sarmiento.

Sarmiento said he started the program during his first term (2005-2007) and was only stopped when his rivals illegally took the city's top post.

Ravenal Avena, officer in charge of the health program, said the mayor even wrote down the areas that should be given priority in the distribution of Philhealth cards.

"Covered lahat ng barangays, as of now. We are prioritizing the needy barangays, all barangays are assessed and based on the assessment we go to the barangays that are first on the list," Avena said.