GenSan Councilors: We Get To Realize Our College Dreams

Last July 2011, a few of the local elected city councilors in this City get a chance to earn bachelor's and master's degree in just one year. University of Makati is the first education institution that customized a degree program that is offered only to the Legislative Academy of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL): Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science for Councilors who have not obtained a college degree. While at the Graduate Program Level, a Masters in Development Management and Governance (MDMG) was offered similar to a Masters in Public Administration.

The University of Makati Professors conducted the classes in provinces wherein most of the councilor-students reside. This is in order to economize resources on the part of the councilor-students and the PCL Staff.

The different cluster classes are as follows:

University of Makati (UMak) -NCR and neighboring provinces cluster

Davao - Mindanao Cluster

General Santos -Mindanao Cluster

Cebu - Visayas Cluster

Albay - Bicol Cluster

Puerto Princesa - Palawan Cluster

The councilor-students who took the Bachelors Degree Program were Hon. Elizabeth B. Bagonoc, Hon. Virginia T. Llido and Hon. Dominador S. Lagare III. And with great honor, out of the hundreds of students, Hon. Bagonoc was given the privilege of leading the Pledge of Loyalty of the new graduates.

With months of policy paper making, traveling from province to province and additional financial expense the much awaited day for the students came - June 30, 2012. It was the graduation ceremony! GenSan should and must be proud to welcome back our own graduating councilors who have committed themselves in realizing their dream. This was born out of their passion, dedication and commitment.

Councilors Eduardo D. Leyson IV, Margareth Rose N. Santos and Marius Orlando A. Oco

The graduating class from the City was composed of Hon. Richard L. Atendido, Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV, Hon. Margareth Rose N. Santos and Hon. Marius Orlando A. Oco. According to the councilors, what they learn during class are realistic and practical learnings that are actually applicable in their day-to-day duties as local legislators.

before the ceremony, Councilor Leyson IV and Councilor Santos with Councilor Natividad to give full support

During the ceremony, the speech of the Secretary from the Department of Agrarian Reform, Hon. Virgilio R. Delos Reyes reminded them that public servants like them need to develop their Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Moral Quotient (MQ) as they navigate the world of public service. On a lighter note, Sen. Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., proposed to add the Political Quotient (PQ) because as political leaders, they are expected to have qualifications to become effective in government service.

With the graduation theme “21^st Century UMak: Leading a Relevant, Revitalized and Revolutionary Education” the graduates our now geared up to hurdle the rigidity of the extremely challenging field of public service.

This unique kind of education to local legislators is a great opportunity to grab so that their responsibilities to their constituents will not be compromised.

the Councilors Leyson IV, Oco, Natividad, Atendido, Lagare III and Santos

 Photos: courtesy of Hon. Meg Santos

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Press Statement:Maximization of PhilHealth Coverage

As the Vice Chairperson on Committee on Health and Sanitation, Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV is sharing this very important Press Statement Re: the maximization of PhilHealth Coverage in behalf of Hon. Marius Orlando A. Oco and Dr. Jose Orlando Acharon.

PRESS STATEMENT --- PLEASE READ AND SHARE
GSCH New Rates do not affect poor patients

Maximization of Philhealth Coverage

One of the main thrusts of SPPO No. 12-0853, Series of 2012, is to maximize the amount of Philhealth reimbursements arising from the services that the General Santos City Hospital (GSCH) renders to its patients. For instance, under the old scheme, the hospital daily room per day could go as high as P400.00. But since our previous room rate was only P180.00 per day, what the hospital could, then, reimburse from Philhealth was only THAT AMOUNT. But now, with the new rate, the GSCH can already reimburse P400.00 per day from Philhealth for the use of a hospital room, without exacting any amount from the patients. Entrenched in this scheme is an aggressive campaign to put all residents, especially the poor and the underprivileged, under the coverage of Philhealth in line with the Aquino Health Agenda (ATTA), calling for 100% Philhealth coverage.

Poor patients are not financially prejudiced

Poor patients, whether or not they are Philhealth members, are not financially affected by the increase in the rates of hospital services in the GSCH. They will pay almost nothing, or minimally, after they are classified as Class C1, Class C2, Class C3 or Class D patients. Under existing ordinances, Class C1 patients pay only 75% of the total hospital bills; Class C2, 50%; Class C3, 25%; and Class D, .0%. Moreover, the City Mayor’s Office, under City Mayor Darlene Magnolia R. Antonino-Custodio, the Congressional Office, under Congressman Pedro A. Acharon Jr., and the local offices of Senator Antonio Trillanes, IV, and other partylist groups are also extending assistance to poor patients in the GSCH to cover balances in their respective hospital bills. In addition, the city government has available indigent funds to cover hospital expenses of poor patients, after the extension of assistance as stated.

Conversion of hospital into an economic enterprise is a pro-poor formula

The conversion of the GSCH into an economic enterprise is a social justice formula intended to enable affluent social sections of the locality to subsidize those patients who are situated in the bottom of the social strata. We improve both the physical and human infrastructures of the GSCH to entice members of upper social classes to avail of our health facilities, and the revenues that the hospital may derive from these affluent paying patients can be rechanneled and used for the welfare and interest of poor patients. Thus, the city government merely pays its inherent role as insurer of social equity being a state instrument.

Raising funds for health and social services, without cost to poor patients

Our study shows that, though this measure, the city government can free up, at the very least, P90, 000,000.00 annually. Hence, the city government can make use of this gigantic amount to advance its various health, social, and economic programs that redound to the welfare and interest of the disadvantaged segment of the locality, without cost to the poor patients of the GSCH.

WE WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD HELP US IN DESSIMINATING THIS INFORMATION TO OUR PEOPLE.

DR. MARIUS ORLANDO A. OCO
City Kagawad /Chaiperson, Committee on Health
Sangguniang Panlunsod

DR JOSE ORLANDO R. ACHARON
Executive Assistant on Health
City Mayor’s Office

 

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