Sen. Sonny Angara. FILE PHOTO / Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Preventing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from leaving the country because of unpaid PhilHealth premium contributions would be “overboard and probably illegal,” Senator Sonny Angara said Monday.
PhilHealth earlier issued a circular increasing by 3 percent, from a previous rate of 2.75 percent, the premium contribution of OFWs whose monthly income are between P10,000 to P60,000.
The monthly premium will also increase by 0.5 percent every year afterward until it reaches 5 percent in 2024.
But 300,000 OFWs protested PhilHealth’s premium rate hike through a petition, saying that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected their jobs.
“The Universal Health Care Law says PhilHealth can get up to 3% but the timing is very unfortunate given the economic crisis worldwide. At a time when people are losing jobs or taking pay cuts and business is suffering in general we should think of alternative ways to fund PhilHealth. Perhaps a health bond or some other financial instrument,” Angara said in a statement.
“Also, we shouldn’t stop OFWs from leaving just because they don’t pay their premium to PhilHealth, I don’t believe the law authorizes that. If the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] state that then it’s overboard and probably illegal,” he added.
‘Insensitive’
Senator Francis Pangilinan, likewise, slammed as “insensitive” raising the premium contributions of OFWs.
“Sa panahon ng COVID-19, kaisa tayo sa pagtutol sa kautusan ng PhilHealth na taasan ang kontribusyon ng overseas Filipino workers. Insensitive at wala ito sa timing,” Pangilinan said in a separate statement.
(In this time of COVID-19, we are also opposing the PhilHealth’s directive to hike the contributions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). It is insensitive and ill-timed).
“Higit 200,000 na OFW ang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya, o kaya ay nagtitiis sa pinaiksing oras ng trabaho. Yan ay halos isang milyong Pilipino na tulad dito sa Pilipinas ay nagdurusa dahil sa pagtatanggal sa trabaho at halos walang aktibidad sa ekonomiya,” he added.
(Over 200,00 OFWs have been displaced by the pandemic or have had their work hours cut. That is also what the over one million displaced workers in the Philippines are facing due to the inactive economy).
President Rodrigo Duterte has since ordered the state-run insurance agency to make the payment of premiums of OFWs voluntary, according to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Roque further noted the payment of PhilHealth premiums would no longer be a pre-requisite to receive necessary documents, like the overseas employment certificate, to leave the country.
PhilHealth, meanwhile, said it has suspended all collections as OFWs opposed the premium rate increase.