Aquino to lead launch of 2 key medical benefits
President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the
launching of the two key medical programs that will provide the much needed
health benefits for Filipinos in ceremonies that will be held in Malacañang on
Monday.
The President, together with Department of Health
Secretary Enrique Ona, will launch the DoH’s Rota Virus Vaccine campaign and
the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) Type Z Benefit
Package.
The Rota virus vaccination campaign was first
conceptualized during the 13th Asian Conference on Diarrheal Diseases and
Nutrition in January this year.
The campaign will initially benefit some 700,000
newborns from the 5.2 million families identified as “poorest of the poor” by
the Department of Social Welfare and Development under its National Household
Targeting System (NHTS).
The Rota virus is the virus that causes severe
diarrhea and vomiting among children below five years old. It is the second
leading killer of under-five Filipino children, accounting for 3,500 deaths
annually.
Ona said that the DOH will start the campaign by
vaccinating infants from the NHTS families who will be born from April 2012 to
April 2013.
PhilHealth’s Type Z Benefit Package, meanwhile,
is a benefit package for cancer victims developed by various experts from sub-specialties
of oncology namely breast cancer, prostate cancer, acute lymphocytic leukemia
in children, and kidney transplant, who attended the Oncology Summit 2012 in
May.
The special health program aims to provide the
victims suffering from Type Z illnesses which, according to PhilHealth, is any
illness that requires lengthy hospitalization, extremely expensive therapies,
or other forms of health care that would deplete a family's financial
resources, with assistance in overcoming these obstacles.
It shall be made available to all eligible
PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents after its official launch on
Monday. (rck)
Palace welcomes sacking of 31 DENR officials
Malacañang welcomed on Sunday Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje’s sacking of 31
DENR officials from their posts for failing to stem illegal logging activities
in their respective areas.
In a press briefing aired over government-run
radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail
Valte said the government supported Paje’s move and called for an immediate
investigation into the case.
“There has to be an explanation and there has to
be an investigation …’yung nangyari po mga logs na ‘yon, ‘yung mga
nai-transport under the watch of these officials. So, yes, they have a lot of
explaining to do,” Valte said.
Paje relieved on Saturday the DENR officials for
failing to comply with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s directive to stop the
proliferation of illegal logging which he issued a year ago.
These are: Region 13 executive director Leonardo
Sibbaluca and Region 11 executive director Jim Sampulna, Region 13 regional
technical director (RTD) for forestry Musa Saruang, Region 11 RTD for forestry
Hardinado Patnugo, Region 11 Forest Resources Conservation Division OIC chief
Claudio Jumao-as;
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources
Officer (PENRO)–Agusan del Norte Rosendo Asunto, PENRO-Agusan del Sur Belo
Udarbe, PENRO-Surigao del Sur Domingo Cabrera, Jr., PENRO-Davao del Norte
Marcia Isip, PENRO-Davao Oriental Gregorio Lagura, PENRO-Compostela Valley
Julius Valdez;
Community Environment and Natural Resources
Officer (CENRO)-Butuan City/Nasipit Vicente Sembrano, CENRO-Tubay Cabadbaran
Elvin Indig, CENRO-Bayugan Ruel Efren, CENRO-Bunawan Jerome Tadem, CENRO-Loreto
Alberto Bacanaya, CENRO-San Francisco Marlon Gelingo, CENRO-Talacogon Eufracio
Subayno; CENRO- Cantilan Mario Tioaquen, CENRO-Bislig Ferdinand Alba,
CENRO-Lianga Jose Mario Reyes, CENRO-Tandag Rogelio Montenegro;.
CENRO-Davao City (West) Napoleon Paje, Davao
City (East) Melchor Ozaraga, CENRO-Baganga Robinson Camacho, CENRO-Lupon Basilio
Caralos, CENRO-Mati Restituta Dime, CENRO-Manay Dioscor Gavarra, CENRO-Maco
Marvin Parilla, CENRO-Monkayo Victor Billones, and CENRO-Nabunturan Antonio
Inguillo. (rck)
