Former NBI director now PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA
MANILA, Philippines — Are you planning to get vaccinated against COVID-19? Well, you may have to prepare your PhilHealth Identification Number as this is now required before getting inoculated, according to the state health insurer on Tuesday.
In a statement, PhilHealth president and chief operating officer Atty. Dante Gierran said that the requirement of the PhilHealth Identification Number (PIN) is in line with the Department of Health’s (DOH) Memorandum 2021-0099, which prescribes that all those who plan to get vaccinated needs to be registered using “unique identifiers,” one of which is the PIN.
“In order to avoid delays and problems during vaccination, we encourage our members to know and keep their PIN,” Gierran said.
“[F]or those who do not know their PIN or not yet registered with PhilHealth, they should coordinate with any PhilHealth office or call us so we can provide them their PIN or facilitate their registration,” he added.
PhilHealth said that members can verify their PIN through any of the following: by calling (02) 8441-7442 (office hours only) or sending an SMS to our callback channel 09216300009 using the format “PHIC callback PIN VERIF Mobile Number or Metro Manila Landline Details of your Concern.”
“Mabuti na ang handa tayo para pagdating ng bakunahan ay hindi na natin problema pa ang paghahanap ng ating PIN,” the PhilHealth chief said.
(It is better to be prepared, so when the time comes that we are vaccinated, we won’t have a problem with our PIN.)
Previously, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the simultaneous vaccination of healthcare workers, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.
So far, the country has administered 656,331 COVID-19 vaccine shots out of the 1,525,600 available doses, the DOH said.