Jone Siegfred Sepe |CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Capitol’s granting of medical, accident and life insurance to frontline barangay workers in the province may have to wait until incoming officials assume office on July 1.
Jone Siegfred Sepe, vice chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Capitol, said they would still deliberate if they would pursue with the insurance program two weeks before their term ends and whether it would be more prudent to let the new administration decide on it.
Sepe said that with a change of administration not only in Capitol but also in the local government units, it might be possible that the current list of barangay workers would change and might jeopardize the insurance if they would decide to start with it.
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“Mag-ilis man na og barangay health workers ug tanod ang uban. So tan-awon namo kung di ba maapektohan kay ang terms of payment ra ba nato, mobayad ta una usa ma-cover. Kung mo-issue tag bayad karon with the current list of tanods, basin magbag-o na pod inig July 1,” Sepe said.
(Other barangays may have new barangay health workers and tanods. Under our terms, we will enroll and pay the premium for these people then they will get covered by the insurance so, we really have to look at the possibility that the list of tanods and BHWs will change on July 1.)
Sepe said that they were still in the evaluation phase of the insurance contract, and that the BAC hadyet to endorse the notice of award to the Office of the Governor.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) approved on April 15 the resolution giving authority to Governor Hilario Davide III to sign into a contract with Fortune Life Insurance Corp. to provide a combination of medical, life and accident insurance to fronline workers in the 1,066 barangays under Cebu province.
Read more: Gwen’s lawyer questions province’s move to avail of insurance for barangay workers from private firm
The camp of Governor-elect Gwendolyn Garcia earlier questioned this move because the provider for the insurance was a private firm.
Read more: Davide: ‘Nothing irregular on private insurance for barangay workers’
Lawyer Frank Eduard Dinsay V, one of the members of Garcia’s transition’s team, said the Capitol should have availed of the insurance package from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) which offered a cheaper premium.
However, Sepe said the procurement request of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) for the insurance package would specifically seek for the combination of accident, life and medical insurance.
However, only the accident insurance package was being offered by GSIS.
“I think nagpadala man sila (GSIS) og letter sa PHO nga ang GSIS naay Group Personal Accident Insurance (GPAI). Pero ang gusto sa Health Board, ganahan sila nga combination sa life, accident ug medical. Tulo ni ka product. (Non) Lifen(accident insurance) lang ang offer sa GSIS. Ang naa sa Procurement Request, combination of three man,” said Sepe.
(I think the GSIS sent a letter to the PHO signifying that they have a Group Personal Accident Insurance (GPAI). However, the Health Board wanted a combination of life, accident, and medical insurance. GSIS only covers non life accident insurance but the procurement request specified a combination of the three.)/dbs