PhilHealth Regional Office 8 in partnership with the Department of Education Regional Office 8, implements the PhilHealth Learner’s Material for Grade 10 students in public schools.
This means that PhilHealth will now be discussed in MAPEH subject specifically under the Health component. The program was successfully pilot-tested in SY 2017-2018 in DepEd Southern Leyte.
The regional implementation to the rest of the 12 DepEd Divisions is slated this coming school year 2018-2019.
The program involves training the MAPEH Teachers handling Grade 10 students on the basics of the National Health Insurance Program and on the PhilHealth Learner’s Manual (PLM).
The PLM, certified by DepEd head office as compliant to the K to 12 curriculum for public schools, will serve as the reference of teachers when discussing PhilHealth to their students.
Currently, PhilHealth has already conducted 6 training sessions for nine (9) DepEd Divisions. The remaining divisions yet to undergo the training are Western Samar Division on May 29, Borongan City and Eastern Samar Divisions on June 1, 2018.
Among the objectives of the PLM is to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of PhilHealth and instil in them an appreciation of the social health insurance program. It is also expected that they will share their knowledge to their parents and other family members.
Even the MAPEH teachers themselves who have undergone the intensive training about PhilHealth have themselves become more informed and appreciative of the program.
Sheila Palacio of Kananga National High School-Rizal Campus said, “We are truly thankful to be part of this training as we learned a lot about PhilHealth which we can share to our students. We also appreciate the fact that PhilHealth is continuously reaching out to the members so they will be empowered and be able to avail of the benefits when needed.”
With the commitment and enthusiasm of the DepEd teachers, PhilHealth is assured that PLM will raise young advocates and champions among the Grade 10 students.
PhilHealth 8 Regional Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr. said that, “I really pushed for the regional implementation of this program because I have seen how enthusiastic and receptive the teachers and students were during the pilot-implementation of PLM in Southern Leyte.”
RVP Limsiaco also added that, “I am very grateful for the wholehearted support of the DepEd Regional Office 8 under the helm of Dir. (Ramir) Uytico as well as the cooperation of the different DepEd Division Offices which ensured the successful implementation of the PLM in Eastern Visayas.”
(MIRAMAR P. ZABALA, PRO III)
