• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province of Negros Occidental approved Ordinance No. 005, series of 2025, or the ordinance authorizing the utilization of the medical allowance by the province for group insurance or group benefit use, Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz disclosed yesterday.
The ordinance aims to authorize and implement the collective utilization of medical allowances granted under the Department of Budget Management’s Budget Circular No. 2024-6 for the procurement of group insurance for all the employees of the provincial capitol.
The P7,000 medical allowance to each government employee by the national government will be utilized for the payment of premiums of health insurance that can reach its maximum benefit of P96,000 per year, on top of PhilHealth benefits.
Based on the ordinance, the program is designed to provide eligible employees with comprehensive coverage of medical insurance through a group insurance or other collective health benefit package, including but not limited to Health Maintenance Organization plans, group life or accident insurance with medical benefits, and other health-related coverage deemed by the province.
The said benefits can be acquired by the beneficiary through accredited hospitals and laboratory clinics across the province, as stated by Diaz in his letter to the employees.
“We already wrote to all our employees [and] furnished it also to the union, the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees (PACE), and they welcomed the development. They are allowed to join the group insurance, and we also presented to them the best offer available,” Diaz said in an interview.
He also disclosed that Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson will be joining the group insurance.
The provincial has distributed the letters and forms to all the departments in the provincial capitol wherein employees can signify or enlist if they are interested in joining the group insurance.
“Those who have existing health insurance can get the amount and pay it instead to their health care providers. They also have the option to not join,” he added.*
