STOP THE MANDATORY COLLECTION OF PHILHEALTH PREMIUM INCREASE! Joint Position Statement of Filipino Migrant Groups on PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014

STOP THE MANDATORY COLLECTION OF PHILHEALTH PREMIUM INCREASE!

Joint Position Statement of Filipino Migrant Groups on PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014 

On 22 April 2020, PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014 entitled “Premium Contribution and Collection of Payment of Overseas Filipino Member” was officially made public. This is in fulfillment of President Duterte’s Universal Healthcare Law which was signed on 20 February 2019 which sets mandatory coverage to all Filipinos under the country’s National Health Insurance Program. 

Since last year, we and many other Filipino migrant groups have already expressed opposition to the proposed collection, At this time, an online petition initiated by OFWs opposing Philhealth’s mandatory collection has already garnered almost 300,000 signatures. This, together with visible reactions in social media platforms clearly show the rejection of OFWs to this scheme by the Duterte administration’s Philhealth. The petition (https://bit.ly/2yn9BMr) is poised to muster more support in the coming days.

1. The mandatory 3% is only the first phase of a tiered payment computation which is set to increase year by year reaching 5% in 2024. This is in addition to all the other draining state exactions imposed by the Philippine government. 
2. Overseas Filipinos are treated as “direct contributors” that have to pay BOTH the employer and employee’s share. Citing Hong Kong as an example where OFWs have a minimum salary of HK$ 4,630   (Php 30,095), the total contribution for 2020 would amount to HK$ 1,667 which is equivalent to Php 10,835.50 (Php30,095 x 0.03 x 12 months). By 2024 and onwards, upon implementation of the 5% increase on the monthly contribution, this would spike up to HK$2,778 or Php 18,057 yearly.
3. Members who fail to make payment after the due date will be penalized and required to pay all missed contributions with monthly compounded interest.
4. This increase overburdens OFWs who are already troubled by retrenchments and loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. An overwhelming number of OFWs are not even covered by President Duterte’s DOLE-AKAP cash aid program and repatriated OFWs have been crying out on the government for steady and efficient amelioration.
5. OFWs are already covered by existing insurance and healthcare programs in their host countries which renders Duterte’s mandatory Philhealth coverage as useless for Filipino migrants abroad. Why charge them yet again? 
6. Since regular contribution to Philhealth is part of OEC requirements, no OEC will be issued to OFWs who are unable to complete their Philhealth payments. Duterte broke his campaign promise of removing the OEC requirement.
7. Members who fail to make payment after the due date will be required to pay all missed contributions with monthly compounded interest. This is extremely painful for OFWs who are unable to finish their contracts because of abuse and maltreatment 
8. OFWs will have to shoulder both employee and employer contributions. This means that they will be charged twice. 
9. Corruption in Philhealth: President Duterte himself has claimed last year that a whopping Php 154 Billion has been lost to Philhealth’s ghost patients and deliveries funneled mainly to profit-oriented private healthcare facilities. Why are OFWs and  Filipino migrants being forced to shoulder government losses caused by corruption? 
10. Subsidizing private profit: While underfunded public healthcare and medical facilities are fast deteriorating, mandatory Philhealth collections are bound to benefit profit-oriented private healthcare facilities as public hospitals are engulfed by the government’s privatization program.
    Our Demands:

1. Stop the mandatory Philhealth premium exaction.
2. Enforce a moratorium on all state exactions at this period of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. 
3. Remove punitive penalties.
4. Junk OEC.
5. Establish a genuine universal health care program through free medical and health services.
6. Enhance and strengthen the public health care system in the Philippines. 

Instead of building more pro-people infrastructures for public health services and establishing a genuine universal health care program where medical and health services are free, President Duterte is clinging on to neoliberal economic policies that extort money from the public to fill the coffers of big private entities. This in itself is legalized theft that preys on our already overburdened Filipino migrants. 

Our opposition to this unjust state exaction will not stop with the petition. Migrante International encourages everyone to join our kalampagan and other forms of online protests and creative actions to oppose the Duterte government’s mandatory Philhealth exaction. 

We, Filipino migrants, affix our organizations name herewith to signify our support to the content and demands written on this position paper and to express our strong and collective opposition to the mandatory collection of Philhealth contributions.

Signed:

1. Migrante International (Global Alliance of Filipino Migrant Orgs in 24 countries)
2. Migrante Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
3. Gabriela Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
4. FAPS INTERNATIONAL – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
5. Samahang Migrante Manggagawa Nagkakaisa sa Riyadh (SAMAKABA-MIGRANTE) – KSA
6. JEDDAH FILIPINO SOCIETY – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
7. Migrante Qatar
8. Gabriela United Arab Emirates
9. Migrante Seattle, USA
10. Migrante Portland, USA
11. Migrante Napa-Solano, USA
12. Migrante Daly City, USA
13. PAWIS East Bay, USA
14.  PAWIS San Jose, USA
15.  Migrante Los Angeles, USA
16.  Migrante Long Beach, USA
17.  Migrante Orange County, USA
18.  Migrante New York, USA
19. Migrante New Jersey, USA
20. Migrante Youth New York, USA
21. Migrante Chicago, USA
22. Migrante Washington D.C., USA
23. Anakbayan Washington DC
24. Migrante Manitoba, Canada
25.  Migrante BC, Canada,
26. Migrante Alberta, Canada
27. Migrante Ontario, Canada
28. Migrante Ottawa, Canada
29. Alberta Care Workers Association, Canada
30. Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan
31. Philippine Migrant Society of Canada (PMSC)
32. PINAY, Canada
33. Association of Filipino Parents, Quebec, Canada
34. Filipino Indigenous Association of Quebec, Canada
35. Aklanon Association
36. Migrante Canada
37. Anakbayan Europe
38. Campaign for the Human Rights in the Philippines, United Kingdom
39. Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines
40. Federation of Domestic Workers Association (FDWA), UK
41. Filipino Ecumenical Migrants Ministry – IFI,
42. FOA-Au Pair, Denmark
43. Gabriela Germany
44. Gabriela London
45. Gabriela Roma
46. Gabriela Switzerland
47. Kabalikat Netherlands
48. Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, UK
49. Makabayang Samahang Pilipino (MkSP), Netherlands
50. Migrante Austria
51. Migrante Bologna, Italy
52. Migrante Como, Italy
53. Hyper Megara Fitness Club, Italy
54. Marias Zumba, Italy
55. Zumba Energetic Moms, Italy
56. Laguna and Friends Association (LAFA), Italy
57. Villasinians of Italy
58. Kaisahan ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Italya- KAMPI Rome
59. Samahan ng Magdalo Roma
60. KasamaKo Greece
61. Migrante Denmark
62. Migrante Europe
63. Migrante Firenze, Italy
64. Migrante Iceland
65. Migrante Ireland
66. Migrante Mantova
67. Migrante Milano
68. Migrante Netherlands Amsterdam
69. Migrante Netherlands Den Haag
70. Migrante Utrecht
71. Migrante UK
72. Migrante Zurich
73. Milan OFW Kapitbisig
74. Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya
75. Pinay sa Holland – Gabriela
76. Promotion of Church People’s Response Europe
77. Samahan ng mga Kabataan sa Netherlands (SAMAKA-NL)
78. Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy (SPC)
79. Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium (UPB)
80. Umangat Migrante
81. Babaylan Germany
82. MIGRANTE Aotearoa New Zealand
83. MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Palmerston North
84. MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Christchurch
85. PINAY Aotearoa – New Zealand
86. Migrante Builders Aotearoa
87. Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), NEW ZEALAND
88. MIGRANTE Australia
89. Lingap Migrante – Western Sydney Australia
90. Migrante North Hornsby, Sydney Australia
91. Migrante South West – Sydney
92. Philippines Australia Women’s Association
93. Migrante Kultura
94. Migrante Melbourne
95. Migrante Melbourne East
96. Migrante Melbourne North – Samahang Tatak Pinoy
97. Migrante Melbourne Northeast
98. Migrante Melbourne West
99. Migrante Perth, Australia
100. Advance League of People’s Artists (ALPA), Australia
101. AnakBayan Sydney
102. AnakBayan Melbourne
103. BAYAN Australia
104. Gabriela Australia
105. Gabriela Greater Sydney
106. Gabriela Victoria
107. Gabriela Perth
108. Philippines Studies Network in Australia (PINAS)
109. Promotion for Church People’s Response (PCPR) Australia
110. United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
111. Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association
112. Association of Concerned Filipinos
113. Cuyapo OFW Association Hong Kong
114. Filipino Friends
115. Filipino Lesbian Organization
116. Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers Union
117. Filipino Migrants Association
118. Filipino Women Migrant Association
119. Friends of Bethune House
120. Likha Filipino Migrants Cultural Organization
121. Luzviminda Migrante
122. Migrante Naguilian
123. Migrante Pier
124. Migrante Shatin
125. Migrante Tamar
126. Migrante Tsing Ti
127. Migrante Tsuen Wan
128. Migrante Yuen Long
129. Migranteng Artista ng Bayan
130. Organic Cultural and Environmental Organization
131. Philippine Independent Church Choir
132. Pinatud A Saleng Ti Umili (PSU)
133. Pangasinan Organization for Welfare, Empowerment and Rights
134. Samahang Migrante
135. Sta Maria Migrants Association
136. Women of Philippine Independent Church – WOPIC Antique
137. Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union (FMWU)
138. FMWU City Hall Chapter
139. FMWU Chater Garden Chapter
140. FMWU Chater Road Chapter
141. Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society
142. Annak ti Maeng Tubo-HK
143. Baggak Cultural Group
144. Bangued Migrants Workers Association
145. Bucay Migrants Workers
146. Bucloc Overseas Workers Association
147. Ganagan San Juan Association
148. Lacub Migrants
149. Lagangilang Overseas Association
150. Langiden Migrants Organization
151. Lapaz Migrants Association
152. Licuan-Baay HK Association
153. Maeng Tribe of Abra Luba-HK
154. Malibcong Migrants Association
155. Timpuyog Ti Tayum
156. BAYAN Hong Kong & Macau
157. Cordillera Alliance Hong Kong (CORALL)
158. GABRIELA Hong Kong
159. Gabriela Hong Kong Bank
160. Filguys Association
161. Filipino Lesbians Organization (FILO)
162. Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR) – Hong Kong
163. Danza Filipina 
164. DOMO Hong Kong 
165. Women Dance Club the Original HK
166. The Silent Majority Hong Kong 
167. FilReflex – Filipino Reflexologists Hong Kong 
168. HK CIASI 61892
169. Federation of Luzon Alliance Group  (FLAG) of Hong Kong 
170. National Organization of Professional Teachers (NOPT) Hong Kong 
171. Global Alliance Hong Kong
172. Magdalo Hong Kong
173. United Philippine Taekwondo Organization (UPTO)
174. Ellen Dancers
175. Social Justice for Migrant Workers
176. UMELA Hong Kong
177. ROAD Hong Kong
178. Share Hong Kong
179. KAFIN Saitama – Migrante
180. MIGRANTE Japan
181. MIGRANTE Macau
182. KASAMMAKO – Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggawa sa Korea
183. New Era Foundation
184. Pag-Iribang Bicolnon in Korea
185. TERESA Women’s Organization
186. EPS Korea
187. Osan Migrants Centre
188. MIGRANTE Taiwan
189. ACTION – Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand
190. Migrante Youth
191. Migrante Philippines