Stability amid the crisis

Ian Alfredo Magno .

DESPITE the turmoil hounding Philhealth’s national leadership, your Philhealth in Region 10 and of the entire Mindanao has administered to keep its stability, as ever, under the stewardship of regional vice president and concurrent area vice president for Area IV, Mindanao, Datu Masiding M. Alonto Jr.

May 10, 2018 marked the inauguration of Philhealth-10’s new office building at Gateway Tower 2, West Concourse at Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City. Philhealth’s new home is an eight-storey structure located beside the Limketkai Luxe Hotel, fronting the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (formerly Mindanao University of Science and Technology).  All, except the third-floor which is devoted to the building administration’s personnel, is being utilized by Philhealth in the conduct of its Cagayan de Oro-based yet region-wide operations, which actually covers the entire Northern Mindanao.

During the consecration of its brand new workspace, RVP Alonto welcomed guests, fellow public officers, friends from the media and, the city’s chief executive, Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, the guest of honor. In his speech, Mayor Moreno emphasized Philhealth’s core competency as a financial institution.  Accordingly, as such, Philhealth’s business is to ensure and insure the hospitalization needs of its members.  Needless to say, its funds must constantly be kept robust via competent, efficient, and responsible handling of its funds.

Mayor Moreno’s message comes at a time when Philhealth at the national level is reported to incur losses of P8.9 billion in the immediately preceding year, 2017, under the watch of interim president and CEO Celestina Ma. Jude P. dela Serna.  Incidentally, the latter is being made to account for her excessive travel spending amounting to P627,000 which funded her trips (to and from Manila-Bohol only) despite prior notice from a junior official that such expenses were not in line with regular accounting and auditing rules and are, therefore, palpably irregular.  Hence, the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned interim president and chief operating officer dela Serna’s expenses amid the P8.9-billion loss.

For his part, RVP Alonto said while the controversy affected the morale of the employees, Philhealth is still “very much able to continue its services.”

Meanwhile, dela Serna, is seemingly nonesponsive to the issue at hand.  Instead, the latter blamed the agency’s regional offices for the alleged billions in debt it owed to private hospitals, while insinuating collusion with and corruption among hospitals and Philhealth’s career officers corruption. The seemingly rash pronouncement generated a host of reactions among Philhealth’s regional vice presidents who issued a joint public statement denouncing dela Serna’s sweeping accusations. Instead, they urged dela Serna to squarely address issue concerning the unprecedented P8.9-billion loss and her excessive travel spending.

When asked about reports that certain hospitals and clinics have closed shop apparently due to the crisis Philhealth central office is currently facing, RVP Alonto responded that the reverse is happening in Cagayan de Oro.  He cited that, soon, the city government of Cagayan de Oro would be opening more brand new government hospitals in Barangay Lumbia, and Barangay Baloy.  On the other hand, the public could visibly see that private hospitals in Cagayan de Oro have dramatically expanded by leaps and bounds.  RVP Alonto  Region 10’s healthy relationship with both private and government hospitals was underscored by the recently forged Memorandum of Understanding, as of December 2017.  With it, the hospital signatories committed to a no-deposit policy upon admission.  It means that patients being admitted in Cagayan de Oro would receive the corresponding medical attention regardless of any financial deposit.

Hence, RVP Alonto said, “It is but fitting that the CEO answer such COA reports, and to be honest this is very serious, P8.9 billion is P8.9.  If this could not be arrested soon enough, magsara ang tindahan (the store will close down), we called upon the president to reverse this spiralling trend.”  RVP Alonto modestly admitted that, given the circumstances and how it is scantily handled, dela Serna does not possess the acumen to manage Philhealth as an institution and the situation it is in right now; and urged Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to urgently intervene.

Meanwhile, Mayor Moreno added in his speech, referring to Philhealth 10’s strong leadership, “He has done so much for Mindanao in terms of social protection.”

(Lawyer Ian Alfredo T. Magno is marketing head at Philhealth. E-mail: ianalfredom@gmail.com)