“I laud the President’s move to suspend the premium hikes on PhilHealth members as it would ease up the burden of the general population in these difficult times coming out of the pandemic.”

Ito ang pahayag ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri kasunod ng pag-anunsyo ng Malacañang ng memorandum na humihiling na suspindihin ng Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) at Department of Health ang pagtaas ng buwanang kontribusyon mula sa mga miyembro nito.

Ang batas na orihinal na nagtakda ng pagtaas ay ang Universal Health Care Act, na nag-utos ng progresibong pagtaas sa mga rate ng premium mula 2.75 porsiyento noong taong 2019 hanggang 3.5 porsiyento ngayong taong 2023 at kalaunan ay 5 porsiyento sa taong 2024.

“This suspension shows that the President knows and acts on the needs of our countrymen by bringing down the daily cost of expenses that everyone is burdened with, especially during this time of high inflation affecting everything from food to fuel,” sabi ni Zubiri.

Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority, ang inflation rate ng bansa ay umabot sa 8% noong Nobyembre 2022, ang pinakamataas na antas nito mula noong Nobyembre 2008. Itinaas nito and taunang inflation rate sa 5.6 porsiyento, na mas mataas kaysa sa inaasahang saklaw na 2 hanggang 4 na porsiyento.

“The premium rate hikes may be established after we have brought down our inflation rate at a more comfortable level in the near future. Once again, we thank the President for this as this will allow a larger take home pay for all salaried workers for the meantime,” dagdag ng mambabatas.

Photo credit: Facebook/migzzubiri