THE City Council committee on health, nutrition, and health insurance, chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane, recently deliberated on the proposal seeking the passage of an ordinance authorizing the establishment of a stand-alone pharmacy at the City Health Insurance Office (CHIO).
During the committee meeting held three days ago, Ms. Marga M. Reyes, a CHIO representative, provided background on its operations, stating that since its inception in 2013, CHIO has functioned as a dedicated insurance office in partnership with PhilHealth Region 10. Ms. Reyes emphasized that, for 11 years, CHIO has been distributing free medicines as part of its services.
“With this, we seek an ordinance so that ma-authorized mi for the creation of the stand-alone pharmacy, since gahatag naman sad mi’g medicines over the years. This is also part of the PhilHealth program,” she explained.
PhilHealth’s new accreditation for pharmacies
Dr. Francis A. Ramos, from PhilHealth Region 10, discussed the new accreditation type under the PhilHealth GAMOT (Guaranteed Access to Medications for Outpatient Treatment) program, as outlined in PhilHealth Circular No. 2023-0029. This program allows PhilHealth to accredit FDA-certified pharmacies to provide subsidized medicines.
“Under this program, PhilHealth can now cover the cost of medicines acquired from accredited pharmacies. We have identified 53 commonly prescribed medicines based on doctors’ prescriptions. The budget allocation is P9,000 per individual per year, covering maintenance and acute illness medications,” Dr. Ramos stated.
However, the representative pointed out that accreditation under the GAMOT program is highly restrictive, as it is only available to pharmacies associated with accredited healthcare providers.
While CHIO is preparing for the accreditation, the process requires time and adherence to regulatory standards. PhilHealth Region 10 reiterated its openness to applications, ensuring that the benefits of the program reach the public effectively.
“The 53 identified medicines are the minimum requirement. The range of available medications depends on the pharmacy’s FDA certification, which typically includes thousands of medicines. However, the priority medications are determined by the healthcare provider’s needs,” the PhilHealth official added.
Next steps for CHIO
Following discussions, Councilor Gaane advised CHIO to secure a resolution from the City Health Board before formally requesting an ordinance.
“Kay dili pwede na mangayo lang mo diretso og ordinance for this. Dapat iapil sa na ninyo sa meeting sa City Health Board ayha nato ma-tackle diri sa committee,” she clarified.
The committee awaits CHIO’s compliance with this procedural requirement before proceeding with further deliberations on the proposal.
TO preclude online and text scams, the trade and commerce committee, chaired by Councilor George S. Goking, called on courier service providers in the city to adopt stricter measures and safer security features against fraudsters who victimize online transacting public.
It may be recalled that Councilor Agapito Eriberto Suan reported, during the 107th regular session of the 20th City Council, that he fell prey to such an incident when he newly opened his food business.
According to Suan, the scam took place immediately after he booked the rider. Somebody pretended to be him and texted the unsuspecting customer to pay the goods ordered, he narrated.
He bared during the meeting that he has the number of the said scammer and will turn it over to the Cagayan de Oro City Police (COCPO) and the National Telecommuncations Commission (NTC) for further investigation.
COCPO City Director P/Col. Salvador N. Radam suggested that P/Lt.Col. Casan Ali of the Northern Mindanao Police Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU-10) be invited in the next meeting for his technical expertise on the matter.
Meanwhile, the management of the app in question appeared before the committee and said that they already identified the culprit, who is a delivery driver based in Cebu, and will file the appropriate case.
The management will also be updating their system where the contact details and other personal information cannot be accessed easily to safeguard the best interest of their clients.
Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, however, was adamant and asked the management if the updated app can keep abreast with new technologies, adding that hackers can find ways to infiltrate new systems.
Councilor Malvern Esparcia, for his part, urged the management to perform a mock run showing the safety nets they have built for the app.
Councilor Nacaya further moved that the committee invite Mr. Zelfred Anthony T. Cocon, head of the City Management Information Systems and Innovation Department, and a personnel from the City Treasurer Office to assess the app.
A PROPERTY owner whose lot was affected by the road construction and drainage project will soon get paid by the city government.
Through a resolution, the 20th City Council during its regular session presided over by Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez, appropriated an amount for the full payment of just compensation including documentation and registration expenses of lot which was affected by the 5.00-meter-wide road with existing 4.00-meter wide Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP) and 1.00-meter drainage project, located in Barangay Carmen.
With this, the members of the City Council, likewise, authorized City Mayor Rolando A. Uy to sign the corresponding deed of absolute sale for the purpose.
The resolution was reviewed and endorsed by the committees on subdivision and landed estate, on finance, budget and appropriation, and on laws and rules respectively chaired by Councilor Edgar S. Cabanlas and Councilor Yan Lam S. Lim.