Speaker Martin Romualdez | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said that patients admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here will benefit from a zero billing policy, which will come from the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP).
In a statement on Thursday, Romualdez said that this is part of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in the city — with the total aid amounting to P50 million.
Romualdez said this was conducted upon the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Isinama ko ang mga kongresista ng 19th Congress para makita ng buong Davao City na mahal na mahal po natin ang Davaoeños. Dahil dito, kami po sa House ay dina-download natin ang P50 million na MAIP funds para sa SPMC upang lahat ng gastusin ng mga pasyente na na-confine dito as of September 5 and 6, 2024 ay wala nang babayaran. Zero billing for all patients,” Romualdez said.
(I brought lawmakers from the 19th Congress for Davao City to see that we love Davaoeños. Because of this, we in the House downloaded a P50 million MAIP fund for the SPMC, so it could be spent for patients confined here from September 5 and 6, 2024, so that they do not have to pay for anything. Zero billing for all patients,” Romualdez said
“And all of you here will receive 10 kilograms of rice, you will bring all of that home,” he added.
Aside from this, Romualdez said the poorest of the poor would receive a P10,000 cash aid.
Both of these programs would be the new component of the BPSF, aside from the P10,000 grant to 6,000 SPMC employees, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program.
“Food vouchers will be distributed for the SPMC to all patients and staff, now, Christmas is early for those in Davao,” Romualdez said.
“This is the goal of our beloved president, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and here we are assisted by our friend Sec. Leo Magno ng Mindanao Development Authority and of course everyone here is happy now. And that’s the directive of our president. We love you all, long live Davao City, Davaoeños, and long live the Philippine nation,” he added.
At the Davao BPSF, at least P1.2 billion worth of government services and cash aid were distributed to over 250,000 residents of Davao Region.
The BPSF in Davao is the 23rd overall, and the third time that the fair made a stop at Davao Region, with the first one being in Monkayo, Davao de Oro last September 2023.
Then last June 7, a BPSF was held in Tagum, Davao del Norte, where P913 million worth of aid and services were delivered to 250,000 beneficiaries.
READ: Bagong Pilipinas caravan in Davao del Norte gives P913M aid, services
Romualdez said he will coordinate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to determine how the government can help the poorest of the poor.
“We are expanding the coverage of services brought by the government for our President’s Bagong Pilipinas program, where all of Filipinos can avail of public services and nobody will be left behind,” he noted.