Aquino urges medical practitioners to do more charity work
President Benigno S. Aquino III called on the medical practitioners to become partners in the government’s fight to eradicate poverty, which he described as the most recognizable cancer that afflicts our society, by taking time to “do more charity work.”
The Chief Executive made his appeal during his keynote address at the joint opening ceremonies of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and the Philippine Societies of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) conventions on Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City.
The President said that the charity work of health practitioners would greatly help in lessening the burden for medical expenses for the less unfortunate Filipinos.
It would also augment the government’s anti-poverty programs such as the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, which aims to fight poverty by giving stipends and food to the poorest families if they meet certain requirements, such as sending their children to school regularly, or getting their babies vaccinated.
“It is my understanding that much of the care being provided by the otorhinolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons are out of reach for most Filipinos. I hope we can do something about this. I am sure you have devoted much time and effort to practice your profession. But let me make this request: please find the time to engage in more charity work. I know that many of you already do this,” said the President. “Can I ask that you give until it hurts?”
The more you engage in charity, the more we can reduce out-of-pocket expenses for the poor,” he added. “Of course, I am not asking you to impoverish yourselves, but merely to try and give more for your countrymen and your country.”
The President also exhorted the delegates “to find a way to offer their service and expertise to poor families in the Philippines, especially those in the far flung areas.”
“As you go through your Continuing Medical Education Program to talk about advanced surgical techniques in the treatment of cancer, may you always be reminded that the hopes and dreams of thousands of cancer patients rest on your shoulders,” the President said.
He expressed hope that this “event will serve as an impetus propelling your organizations and the whole medical society in achieving your pursuit to provide quality, equitable and sustainable healthcare, not just for the Filipinos, but for the rest of the world.” (PCOO)
Aquino invites visiting IFHNOS delegates to tour RP
As part of his administration’s thrust to boost tourism, President Benigno S. Aquino III invited the delegates attending the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Society (IFHNOS) to find time during their convention to visit the different tourist spots of the country for them to get to know more about its rich culture and people.
The Chief Executive made the pitch in his keynote speech during the joint opening ceremonies of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and the Philippine Societies of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) conventions on Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City.
“I’m very happy that the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Society (IFHNOS) chose Manila as one of the venues for its 2010 Global Continuing Medical Education Program,” the President said.
“While you’re here, let me make a gentle reminder: my government has great plans underway to further develop tourism. I hope that while you are at this convention, you can still have some time to visit some of our historical sites and get to know more about our country’s rich culture, feast on our authentic cuisines, meet our beautiful people and be enthralled by our breathtaking locations,” he stressed.
Around 700 delegates to the joint convention composed of foreign and local medical practitioners in the fields of otolaryngology, head and neck oncology and surgery are participating in the three-day event. (PCOO)
Aquino bares plans to improve RP healthcare
President Benigno S. Aquino III announced that the Department of Health’s budget will be increased in next year’s General Appropriation Act to ensure that more Filipinos will be provided greater access to healthcare.
In his speech keynoting the joint opening of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and the Philippine Societies of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (PSO-HNS) conventions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City on Sunday, the Chief Executive said the 13.6 percent increase in the DoH’s 2011 budget would be used to increase the coverage of Philhealth “to five million families in three years or less.”
“In the area of healthcare, there is much more that needs to be done, but here is what we have done so far: We have increased the budget of the Department of Health by 13.6 percent next year. Much of that money will go to public health centers,” the President said.
According to the President, universal health care “is created particularly for our poor countrymen. We aim to protect them not only from the undesirable health effects but also from the adverse financial implications of diseases, illnesses and emergencies.”
“We aim to do this by improving the coverage and benefits of PhilHealth, our national health insurance agency,” he stressed.
A couple of weeks back, the President noted that the government, through the DoH conducted the National PhilHealth Registration Day, and enrolled more than 192,000 poor families. We will not stop here. In the coming weeks, enrollment of more indigent families will continue as we have proposed P3.5 billion in the DOH budget for this purpose. Our aim is to cover about five million Filipino families in three years or less,” he added.
The President emphasized that while the government is committed to increasing the number of people Philhealth can accommodate, it is also incumbent upon itself to improve the benefits that the national health insurance agency gives to its members.
“We are not only increasing coverage, we are also increasing their benefits. Head and neck injuries and surgery, including treatment, are covered by Philhealth insurance. If the patients become aware of their entitlements, benefits and their responsibilities of being a Philhealth member, we will make Philhealth work better for its members especially for our poor countrymen,” the President said.
“This will not only save thousands of families from the impoverishing of disease and illness, it will save thousands of lives,” he said.
The President also announced that government healthcare facilities will be upgraded to ensure that government will respond better to the health needs of our countrymen.
“Furthermore, we will upgrade the state of government facilities all over the country. They have long suffered from neglect and misplaced priorities. We will improve our hospitals, rural health units and health centers by providing them functional equipment and competent health workers based on their needs,” the President said.
He explained that this will enable his administration to “better respond to the health needs of our countrymen and we will do away with the statistic that says 40 percent of our population never get to see a health professional.”
All these, the President said, were the “concrete steps” his administration were taking “to improve the country’s education and health care system for those of us who have less in life.” (PCOO)
Palace confident on gov't disaster preparedness plan
Malacanang expressed confidence in the inter-agency preparedness plan of the government in the wake of possible damages expected from super typhoon “Juan”.
During the meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the government is confident that the preparedness plans of various agencies are enough to address the possible damage typhoon “Juan” could pose particularly in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Mt. Province and Ifugao.
Considering the early deployment of the Quick Response Teams (QRT), Ochoa stressed the urgency of sustaining the preparations and alertness to assure a zero-casualty target.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said a total of 3,832 volunteers have been deployed to assess and manage the relief operations in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) including their central office.
Soliman noted that part of their Prepositioned Emergency Relief Resources is a standby fund amounting to P2,827,456.23 covering the affected areas.
The DSWD also prepositioned P360,000 worth of 2,000 family packs which are ready for transport and hauling to affected areas in addition to the stockpile in their field offices.
The department has also allocated an additional P2 million as standby funds at P500,000 each for CAR and Region 1 and P1 million for Region 2.
The National and Regional Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Centers are on 24/7 operations for data generation and in close coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the NDRRMC at all levels.
A total of 627 families or 3,066 persons have been evacuated in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson said the water level in Angat Dam was pegged at 180.66 meters, way below the critical spilling level of 192 to 198 meters.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said typhoon “Juan” (international code name: Megi) has maximum winds of 225 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph.
As of 4 a.m. Monday, its center has been located 220 km East of Tuguegarao City moving west southwest at 19 kph on a 350 km radius.
It was forecasted to be at 100 km Northwest of Baguio City by Tuesday morning and 560 km West Northwest of Baguio City on Wednesday morning. (PCOO)
Aquino closely monitoring typhoon Juan
President Benigno S. Aquino III is hoping super typhoon Juan will not get any stronger to lessen possible damage to lives, infrastructure and agriculture while maintaining its exit path.
During the courtesy call of the champion teams of Ateneo de Manila University in Malacañang, the President said he is monitoring the Category 4 typhoon to ensure that normalcy will be back as soon as possible in the affected areas in northern Luzon.
“We have been monitoring the typhoon. Fortunately the government was ready and the citizens properly informed,” the President said.
So far, the President said he was informed there was a minimum number of casualty.
The President related an accident where a person fell into a river got, carried away, and fortunately was recovered, adding that two others suffered minor wounds when a window of a Jollibee store was smashed due to strong winds.
The President said monitoring the typhoon, a meeting with the Mindanao officials to hasten the peace process, and the national anti-poverty cluster meeting took most of his time Monday.
“I have to go back and continue monitoring to keep everybody on their toes,” the President said.
Those who paid their courtesy at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang were the three-peat 2010 UAAP Ateneo men’s basketball team, the three-peat Ateneo High School team, and the four-peat Ateneo grade school team.
The President also greeted Ateneo’s youngest player, 10-year-old Jego Buenaventura, who was celebrating his birthday Monday.
The Ateneo basketball champions were accompanied by school athletic director Ricky Palou, coach Norman Black, team manager Paolo Trillo, Fr. Nemesio Que and Fr. Kit Bautista, head master of the Ateneo grade school. (PCOO)
